Rekindling What's Meant to Be
by SehunsBae37
Summary: Jacob is visited by a surprising little guest that reveals herself to be a part of him. When Bella returns to retrieve her she reunites with Jacob after years of no contact. Forced to confront their unresolved issues and feelings, will they be able to rekindle their stunted romance and try be a family or remain stubborn and force their daughter to help them along the way?
1. Chapter 1

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 1

Chocolate brown eyes looked out the window in awe, loving the simplicity of what she was taking in. So this was La Push, the place her mother always spoke so fondly of. She preferred the little community over where she lived in Colorado. Her family was situated in the mountains there after the third move she could count in her twelve years of life, she was homeschooled, and she had no friends; the ones she did make were only temporary. So seeing everyone interacting with each other and being friendly made her smile. And the atmosphere just seemed so peaceful, even from inside of the taxi she was riding in. No wonder her mother missed this place so much. But she was sure it was more than just La Push that she missed. And that was why she was here, to meet the person that her mother obviously still held so much affection for.

It wasn't long before the taxi pulled up in front of the little red house, a garage not far off from the house. Opening the door she got out with her duffle bag and closed the door behind her. The taxi driver rolled down his window and asked, "This is the right place, right?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it. It looks just like it did in my mom's pictures." Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her wallet and pulled out more than enough money to give to the taxi driver. When he was about to protest about the amount she said, "Keep it, it won't be missed. And consider it a huge 'thank you' for bringing me a place that means a lot to my mom."

The taxi driver stared at the twelve year old girl for a moment before nodding and saying, "Good luck, young one."

She nodded and waved after him as he left before turning to face the house. Taking a deep breath she moved to step up on the porch and raised her hand to knock. She almost hesitated but went ahead and knocked on the door about seven times. She waited patiently for someone to answer the door and it wasn't long when she heard the door unlock. The door opened and standing in front of her was a tall, very muscular Quileute man looking down at her with a somewhat confused expression on his face.

"Yes? Can I help you?" the man asked her.

Looking up into his dark brown eyes she said, "Jacob Black, my name is Sarah and I'm here on behalf of my mother, Bella Swan."

* * *

Jacob couldn't help but stare at Sarah as she sat across from him at the kitchen table while eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This girl Sarah claimed she was Bella's daughter, someone he hadn't seen nor spoken to or heard anything about in years. The last time he had seen and spoken to Bella, it was two weeks before her sham of a wedding to Cullen. He had come back from having run off after getting a wedding invitation and had visited her in the middle of the night. He actually hadn't tried to talk her out of marrying the leech, but rather had stopped by to tell her he wished her the best and that he was finally going to say 'goodbye'. Bella hadn't wanted him to say 'goodbye' and begged him to still be a part of her life, knowing it was a waste of breath to say considering the situation. When he adamantly refused, she begged him to at least stay the night with her once more. He really shouldn't have, but he did despite his better judgment. Her chocolate brown doe eyes had looked pleadingly at him and he had been too weak to refuse. They had just meant to talk and hold each other, but one thing had led to another and they ended up being each others' firsts that night. And the entire time he could feel the love Bella had for him. It was just unfortunate that she couldn't let that love be enough because at the end of the day, she had still chosen Cullen.

That had been the last he had seen of her, but now all of a sudden this little girl has popped up saying she was Bella's daughter. He wouldn't have believed it had he not seen those familiar chocolate brown eyes looking up at him. It was hard for Jacob to believe; Bella was a mother and had a child. Sarah not only had Bella's eyes, but had dark brown hair and Bella's nose. However what caught him off guard was her smile when she had looked around his family home. Her smile reminded him of his mother's, of his own. And her skin was a lovely tan, not as tan as his own but a lovely color. There was a nagging feeling in his head that was just begging him to ask the girl a few questions, questions he in his heart knew the answer to. But he had to make sure.

"Sarah, you said your mom's last name was Swan," Jacob started getting the girl's attention. "Shouldn't it be Cullen?"

Sarah swallowed her bite of sandwich before answering, "It was and legally still is, but she's going by her maiden name. Her husband is being stubborn and won't divorce; this has been going on for about two years now."

Bella was trying to divorce Cullen? That was…interesting news. Putting that information in a mental folder for later he then asked, "How old are you?"

"I'm twelve."

"What's your last name?"

"Swan, but it should be something else. It's on my birth certificate, but I'm always going by mom's maiden name because she told me to since it makes her husband upset."

Jacob was quiet for a moment before whispering, "Black."

Sarah smiled at him and nodded, not saying anything but confirming his suspicions and what he already knew. Sarah was Bella's daughter. Sarah was twelve years old. Sarah's real last name Black. Sarah was not a Cullen in any way, shape, or form. And the last time he had seen Bella was nearly thirteen years ago.

Oh God…Sarah was his daughter. Sarah was his daughter that he created with Bella.


	2. Chapter 2

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 2

The entire rest of the day Jacob spent time with his newfound daughter, learning about her interests, her pleasures, her joys. Sarah reminded him so much of himself with her love of life and living things. It was as if she embodied his entire personality and none of Bella's, something he couldn't figure out whether or not was a good thing. And through it all, he couldn't help but wonder if Sarah knew the family she had grown up with were vampires and that her father was a Shifter. He wanted to ask her, but he didn't want to ruin the bonding they were having.

Currently they were watching a movie in the living room, a bowl of popcorn between them and cans of warm soda in their hands. They both were so engrossed in the movie that they were honestly startled when the front door opened and Billy rolled in, followed by Seth Clearwater. As soon as their eyes landed on Sarah they froze and stared wide-eyed at the preteen. Sarah stared back at them for a moment before saying politely, "Hello."

"…Jacob," Billy started. "Who is this?"

Jacob looked at Sarah before looking back at Seth and saying, "Seth, I need you to not stay. This is a family matter."

Seth nodded slowly, his eyes not leaving Sarah as he said, "Sure, no problem."

After Seth left the Black house with one more look at Sarah, Billy cleared his throat and said, "Jake."

Jacob took a breath and said, "Dad, this is Sarah, my daughter."

"Your daughter?! With who?!"

"With…with Bella."

Billy's eyes widened further in his head before his face turned completely expressionless. Giving his son a look that basically said he wasn't getting out of this talk, he said, "Explain."

Jacob spent the next fifteen minutes filling Billy in on everything that Sarah had told him upon her arrival. And throughout it all Billy almost couldn't believe what he heard. Bella had slept with his son before her wedding to the Cullen boy and became pregnant with his child. However he felt sickened that Bella had kept the knowledge of his granddaughter, of Charlie's granddaughter, a secret and didn't even let them know. He had missed out on twelve years of Sarah's life, years he wished he could have witnessed with her growing up, learning to crawl and walk, say her first words. He felt robbed and thought Bella selfish for doing this. But he wasn't going to dwell on it too much; he had someone to officially meet.

When Jacob finished talking Billy rolled over to Sarah and gave her a kind smile, softly saying, "Welcome Sarah. It's so nice to finally meet you."

"You too, Billy," Sarah replied with a sweet smile. Setting her drink down she leant over and wrapped her arms around Billy's neck in a close hug. "I'm so happy I finally get to meet you. Mom speaks highly of you and dad and this entire place. She said she named me after your wife because I look like her and wanted to honor her."

Billy hugged Sarah in return and replied with emotion in his voice, "You certainly do."

Jacob smiled at the sight before him, his heart warming at seeing his father and his daughter have this moment together. It was sweet that Bella had named their daughter to honor his mother, knowing how important she was to him and Billy. Just knowing that made him smile, but his mind wouldn't settle just yet. He had to ask about Bella, about whether she knew Sarah was here, and about how she was doing in regards to Cullen.

"Sarah, does Bella know you're here?" Jacob asked the preteen when she let go of Billy.

Sarah bit her lip, the action reminding him so much of her mother, and answered, "No, she doesn't. She was at work when Aunt Rosie took me to the airport and paid for my ticket. She probably knows now thought, because she knows I've always wanted to meet my real father. She just wouldn't let me saying it wasn't a good idea. And just talking about you would irk her husband."

Billy and Jacob shared a look, knowing good and well that Bella was probably on her way to Forks, Washington right now. They knew the little seer vampire had more than likely seen Sarah on her way here and told the brunette. They knew it probably wouldn't be long before she got there and came for Sarah. And when she did Jacob wasn't sure what he was going to do.

* * *

Jacob looked into his sisters' old room where Sarah was currently sleeping peacefully, the little radio in the room playing soft classical music. He couldn't help but smile as she twitched her nose in her sleep cutely. It was hard for him to believe that he had helped to create the lovely girl sleeping in front of him, the little girl that he never even knew existed until today. Even so, he loved her already. Sarah had already filled a space in his heart that had been empty for nearly thirteen years. The space wasn't completely full, but Sarah occupied most of it.

He watched her sleep for another minute before closing the door behind him and heading to the kitchen where Billy was waiting with cups of tea. Taking one he said, "She's sleeping now."

"That's good," Billy replied taking a sip of tea. Looking at his son he asked, "What are you going to do now? You've suddenly become a father and we both know Bella is coming to take Sarah back."

"I don't know, but I already know that I love her. And she obviously already loves us if she chose to fly from Colorado to see us."

"That's true, and this was obviously something she had been wanting to do. However she hadn't until now because she was respecting Bella's wishes to not come here. It seems to me that Bella did this to appease Cullen; that's something that hasn't seemed to change in nearly thirteen years."

Jacob was silent for a moment before saying, "Sarah told me that Bella has been trying to divorce the leech for the past two years."

Billy's eyes widened in surprise and asked, "Really?"

"Yeah, but he won't let her. And it's obvious Sarah seems to have no love for him because she calls him "the husband". And it seems there is no love lost on his part for her either. She told me he makes her uncomfortable and she woke up several times in the middle of the night swearing she saw him watching her in her room. But when she'd turn her lamp on, he wasn't there."

"He's watching her sleep?" Billy's voice was full of disgust.

Jacob nodded, he too feeling angry at knowing the leech was watching his daughter like he watched Bella. He made Sarah uncomfortable and she didn't like him, something he greatly agreed with. He wondered still did she know about the vampires and spirit wolves and such. How much did Bella tell her? How much had Sarah picked up on if she picked up any? Jacob supposed he'd have to ask her in the morning.

Thinking of the morning he said, "I was thinking of taking her to meet Charlie in the morning. I'm sure she'd love to meet her other grandfather."

Billy smiled warmly and nodding saying, "The chief would love that." His smile then turned sad. "He'll just be devastated that Bella kept her a secret from him."

"I know, but I want to do this for Sarah's sake. She's missed out on her real family for too long and I want to remedy that. She's practically a teenager already and I want to fill in as many gaps as I can."

"Yes, because it's unfair for Bella to be doing to Sarah what Renee did to her while she was growing up, only worse."

A silence flowed between father and son, neither of them wanting to speak any more on the topic at hand. They both silently agreed to leave the conversation at that for the time being and focus on Sarah when the morning came.

* * *

Bella's leg was shaking nervously as the plane began to descend out of the sky. She was about to reach the airport and soon be taking a taxi to Forks, a place she didn't think she'd ever see again. But she had to come back, she had to get her daughter and return back to Colorado. She couldn't believe Rosalie had taken Sarah to the airport without her knowledge and let her fly by herself. Even so, she knew it was mostly her daughter's doing.

Sarah had been wanting to visit Forks and meet the family she didn't know for years, but she wouldn't allow her to. She should have known her resourceful daughter would find a way, just like she had somehow gotten around being grounded for sneaking out at night to play with some coyote cubs when she was ten. She had been forbidden for sneaking out and playing with them at night; Sarah had used that against her by sneaking out and playing with said cubs during the day, the action catching her completely off guard. So she wasn't surprised she had gotten around her telling her not to go to Forks. And with Rosalie helping her, of course she'd be able to pull it off. She hadn't even known until Alice had called her frantically telling her she couldn't see Sarah and that Sarah wasn't at home. It wasn't long after that that Alice told her Rosalie helped fly her daughter off to Forks, Washington. Edward had wanted to accompany her, but she told him 'no', saying that with Sarah already not being fond of him, his presence would make things worse if he showed up with her. Also, she didn't want Jacob and him to have a confrontation.

Before long she had landed and gotten off of the plane, grabbed her baggage, found the exit and hailed a taxi to take her to town. And as she rode in the taxi to Forks to find a hotel for the night, she couldn't help but hope that she didn't see Jacob. She didn't think she'd be able to look him in his face again after thirteen years of no contact and not telling him they had a daughter. Dread filled her stomach, but she had to do this. She had to get Sarah and return home to Colorado. Forks had too many ghosts of her past that she didn't want to face. She almost wanted to laugh knowing she was now thirty-one years old and still running away from everything she'd rather not face. But it was the only thing she knew how to do, or should she say, the only thing she knew how to do right.

* * *

Sarah silently raised the window of the room she was occupying and as quietly as possible, snuck out of the window. She had put on the clothes she had on earlier and her tennis shoes so she wasn't sneaking around not wearing shoes or proper clothes. Once her feet hit the ground, she left the window open so she could sneak back inside and ran towards the woods near the little red house. Ever since seeing them earlier she wanted to venture into them, wondering what woodland creatures she'd come across. She had gone about five yards into the woods when she heard a noise behind her.

Turning around she looked through the darkness, wondering what it could have been that she had heard. It sounded like an animal moving around, making her wonder what kind of animal it could be. When she didn't hear it anymore she continued on her way, listening to the nightlife as walked. She had walked another yards when she heard the noise again, followed by a low huff.

Knowing it was an animal this time she turned and called out, "Hello? I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to be your friend." And she did; she absolutely loved animals and there wasn't one animal—wild or domesticated—that she hadn't befriended yet.

Sarah waited for a moment, and then got the shock of her life when a bear sized wolf stepped out of the shadows and into a patch of moonlight. The wolf was pretty gangly looking and had sandy colored fur. But its large brown eyes were so very inviting and she knew the wolf wouldn't hurt her. Chocolate brown eyes stared at it in wonder before Sarah smiled widely at it, completely fascinated. Walking over to it she instantly buried her hands in its soft fur and giggled as she snuggled into the large creature. The wolf purred and pulled away from her slightly to lick her face, causing her to laugh out loud in delight.

The wolf stepped back and crouched down, silently inviting Sarah to climb upon its back. Sarah quickly climbed on top of the wolf and held onto its fur tightly as it ran through the woods, dodging trees and taking powerful strides. And the whole time Sarah's joyful laughter filled the silent night.


	3. Chapter 3

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 3

Bella stared at the name flashing on her cell phone as it rang, complete contempt filling her body. She absolutely did not want to talk to Edward, especially at seven in the morning. He had started off texting beginning at six-thirty, but upon her ignoring them he started calling. It continued so much that the person in the hotel room next to her banged on the wall and yelled at her to silence her phone, to which she did. Now it just flashed his name with his continuous calls. She wanted so badly to just not answer, but she knew she had to. Reaching over to the bedside table she grabbed her cell and finally answered.

"What Edward?" Bella said coldly into the little device.

 _"Good morning, my love,"_ Edward's smooth voice greeted in her ear. _"I hope you slept well. I was just calling to ask are you on your way home yet."_

"No, I'm not. I haven't gotten Sarah yet. But the moment I get her, we'll head back to Colorado."

 _"Well I hope to see you soon and that you don't dawdle in Forks. Remember what I told you, especially if you run into_ him _. He'll just pull you back and you don't need that."_

A cold shiver ran down Bella's spine at her husband's implied threat. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves she said, "Edward, you promised. You promised you wouldn't hurt Sarah if I stayed with you, regardless of the fact that I don't love you anymore."

 _"Oh how I hate to hear you deny your true feelings for me after all of these years. Just do as I say and Sarah won't be touched. I'll see you soon; until then, my love."_ And with that the line went dead.

Tears filled Bella's eyes and she shut them tightly to keep them at bay. Damn Edward! Damn him! She wished she had never gotten involved with him at all, something she had been regretting since Sarah had been born. But there was nothing she could do. All she could do now was go to La Push, collect Sarah, and head back to Colorado—Sarah kicking and screaming if need be. She just hoped Jacob wouldn't be stubborn and just let her get in and out without fuss. If only it could be that easy, but she knew better.

* * *

Jacob watched in concealed amusement as his daughter waltz around the kitchen comfortably as she made breakfast for him and Billy. She was obviously in her comfort zone and was whipping up mouthwatering deliciousness; she obviously picked up cooking from her mother. Also Sarah was bouncing and dancing around the kitchen as she cooked as well, humming along to whatever it was she was listening to on her iPod; it sounded like Katy Perry. At some point after flipping a pancake in the pan, she shook her head almost wildly, her dark brown hair flying all around her head and he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Sarah turned around to look at her father with a bright grin, loving the sound of his laughter. No one ever laughed with the family she lived with and this was a lovely contrast. They were always so closed off and cold-like, and her father and grandfather were so warm and open and welcoming. It made her not want to leave and she had only been here for almost about twenty-four hours. Giggling she turned back to her cooking and soon she had three plates set on the table topped with pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, homemade biscuits, and a bowl of cut fruit. There were also glasses of poured orange juice set up and soon Sarah, Jacob, and Billy were seated at the kitchen table and enjoying each other's company while eating the twelve year old's delicious breakfast.

About the time breakfast was over Sarah looked at the two men and said, "I didn't know the animals around here grew so big."

Billy frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

"The animals, or at least the wolves here are _massive_. And they're friendly, too."

Jacob froze and shared a look with his father before looking back at his daughter. Clearing his throat he asked, "When did you see this wolf?"

Sarah smiled up at him and answered, "Last night. I have a tendency to sneak out at night and play with wild animals and I did last night; I'm sorry. But I ran into a very friendly bear sized wolf. It even let me ride on its back."

Already having an idea about who the wolf was Jacob asked, "What did it look like?"

"It was sandy colored and gangly looking, and it was really sweet. It even made sure I got back inside alright."

Jacob and Billy looked at each other once again, knowing immediately she had just described Seth in his wolf form. They weren't upset Sarah had snuck out of the house, considering Jacob did it a lot as a teenager. But he was internally freaking out because it was obvious Sarah didn't know about the Pack and she had run into one of them, meaning Bella hadn't told her anything about their supernatural world. This meant Sarah was completely in the dark about this aspect of his life. He wondered why Bella kept this from their daughter when she was living in the midst of vampires. Did Sarah not know the Cullens were vampires, that her mother married one? He had so many questions, but the only person that could answer them was Bella.

Deciding to leave that alone for a while he decided he needed to talk to Seth. Why did he reveal himself to Sarah when they were trying to remain secretive? It couldn't have just been because she was his daughter; it had to be for another reason. Finishing his food he stood up and placed his empty dishes in the sink before turning to face his family.

"Well, I need to step out for a while and I don't know when I'll be back. Sarah, dad is going to take you to meet Charlie. I'm sure he'd love to meet you," Jacob said.

Sarah nodded and said with a smile, "I'd love to meet him, too." She turned to look at Billy. "Do you think he'll like me?"

"He's going to love you," Billy told her while ruffling her hair. "Just let me call Sam to come and give us a lift to Forks and we'll head that way soon.

Jacob smiled at them before heading out of the door to his car, getting inside and cranking it. He pulled away from his home and headed to the road to head to the Clearwater's house. He and Seth needed to have a chat.

* * *

Sarah stood nervously in the driveway of her other grandfather's home, staring up at the little yellow house. It looked exactly how her mother described the home and she thought it looked like it should belong in a happy story; all it needed was a picket fence. However her mother only ever wore a sad expression when talking about living here and she didn't understand why.

Sam helped Billy into his wheelchair before telling him he'd tell Jacob to come by to get them later. He had been so surprised to meet little Sarah, further surprised to learn she belonged to Jacob and _Bella_. He wanted to talk to Jacob but knew it wasn't his business.

Billy watched Sam leave before turning to his granddaughter. Taking her hand gently he asked, "Ready to meet your mother's old man?"

Sarah looked at him and smiled saying, "Yes, I'm ready."

"Alright, let's go meet the chief."

The two of them made their way to the front door and soon were knocking on the door. They waited for a moment before they heard the door unlocking and soon it opened to reveal police chief Charlie Swan. Charlie was about to greet Billy when he took notice of the girl next to his best friend. He looked at Sarah confused for a moment before looking into her chocolate brown eyes, knowing those eyes to belong to one other person besides himself. He looked between her and Billy, his mind racing until finally he said in disbelief, "Oh my God."

Sarah smiled and was about to greet the man when he suddenly covered his face with his hand, his face turning from fair to pink to red in a manner of seconds. Before she or Billy knew it they could hear the sobs that Charlie was trying to conceal. Billy wasn't really surprised by the reaction, knowing Charlie only ever reacted strongly to things concerning Bella, but he knew that realizing his daughter had kept Sarah a secret had to be definitely overwhelming for him. He also knew he'd probably be raving mad later, but not right now. As for Sarah, she couldn't stop the tears that weld up in her eyes upon seeing her grandfather become so emotional upon meeting her. She knew it wasn't fair of her mother to deny her and Charlie this and she was aware of what her grandmother Renee had done to Charlie concerning her mother. So for her own mother to do the same thing only worse, to her it was despicable.

She sniffled as her tears fell and she soon stepped up to Charlie and wrapped her arms around him in a close embrace, Charlie bending down a bit to return her hug. As the two of them cried and held each other in this long overdue meeting, Billy watched them with a smile on his face before looking away to give them the illusion of privacy. He already had his moment with Sarah and he wouldn't dare interrupt Charlie's.

* * *

Jacob knocked on the door of the Clearwater house, waiting patiently for someone to answer the door. When no one answered he knocked again, only louder. This time someone did answer, that person being the one he came to see. Seth smiled at him and said, "Morning, Jake! What are you doing here?"

"I've come to talk to you for a bit," Jacob replied. "Do you mind stepping outside?"

Seth shook his head and stepped out of his house, closing the door behind him. They stepped off the porch and walked away from the house a bit before Seth asked, "What's up?"

Deciding to not even beat around the bush Jacob said, "Sarah told me that she ran into you last night while you were on patrol."

Seth's eyes widened in surprise before asking, "How'd she know it was me?"

"She doesn't, but she described what you looked like and mentioned the wolf was rather friendly. She also mentioned it gave her a wolf-back ride."

Jacob watched as his Pack mate scratched the back of his head nervously and how he refused eye contact. Usually Seth would just admit to something like this without pause, though would probably still feel guilty. Even as a man he hadn't lost that quality about him. So why was he not saying anything now? A sudden thought came to mind and Jacob closed his eyes briefly before asking his next question.

"Seth, are you aware Sarah is my daughter?"

"Yes, and that's why it's hard for me to tell you this, why it's hard for me to admit to why I so easily approached her last night and allowed her to see me."

"Just tell me, Seth. If you tell me the truth, then I won't be upset with you." He paused for a moment. "Besides, you're shit at lying anyway."

Seth chuckled a little before taking a deep breath and saying, "The reason why I allowed her to see me and spent time with her last night is because…because I Imprinted on her."

There was a long silence flowing between them before Jacob finally asked, "When?"

"When Billy and I first walked into your house yesterday and I looked at her. The moment I stared into her eyes I just knew. And when I saw her walking through the woods last night, I was only following her to look after her, I swear. But then she called out to me and invited me to her, and I couldn't help myself. Just…just please don't be upset with me, Jake."

Jacob rolled what Seth told him over in his brain for a while before nodding and saying, "It's alright, Seth. Thanks for telling me the truth. For what it's worth, I think Sarah—when she's finally told our secret—will take it in stride. She's so open to everything from what I've observed of her that I know she'll accept you."

Seth grinned brightly and nodded, thanking Jacob before inviting him inside to which Jacob declined. Jacob told Seth he'd see him later on patrol before getting back in his car and heading back to his home. He'd stop there first before heading to Charlie's house to check on Sarah.

* * *

Chocolate brown eyes stared out of the window of the taxi as sadness and regret filled her being. She didn't think she'd ever return to this place, but she had to in order to get her daughter back. She knew she wasn't even allowed on these lands anymore, but she hoped she could get in and out without being detected. Before long her eyes settled on the little red house that the taxi pulled up in front of.

The taxi driver looked at the house and said, "Funny, I was just here yesterday dropping off a little girl. Are you her mother?"

Bella nodded and gave the driver more than enough money before thanking him and getting out of his cab. She bit her bottom lip nervously before squaring her shoulders and walked up to the house, hearing the taxi turn and leave. Walking up onto the porch the brunette raised her hand and knocked on the door, hoping to any god that was listening for Billy to open the door. It'd probably be easier to get Sarah and go if he was the one to answer.

The door opened and Bella came face to face with the one person that could break her as easily as he could fix her. He was her best friend whose heart she had broken. He was the father of her child. He was the person Edward didn't want her to come into contact with.

Brown eyes stared at her for a moment with concealed surprise before Jacob finally said, "Bella."

"…Jacob."


	4. Chapter 4

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 4

Jacob watched Bella fidget nervously as she sat at the kitchen table in his home, his fingers twiddling in her lap. She was avoiding his gaze and looking anywhere but at him. He already knew why she was there and knew she was in a hurry to leave as well. She wanted to get Sarah and leave but he wasn't going to let her, not any time soon anyway. Tired of watching her fidget he said, "I know you're here for Sarah, Bella."

Bella nodded and said, "Yes, and I would like to get her so we can leave. We have a flight to catch."

"She's not here right now. Billy took her to go and meet Charlie, seeing as she's never met him before in the twelve years she's existed on this earth."

The brunette flinched at Jacob's words, knowing he was taking a jab at her for keeping their daughter out of his, Billy's, Charlie's, and others' lives. But she didn't have a choice. She knew that marrying Edward would mean leaving everything and everyone in Forks behind. She just didn't know that there would still be a part of Forks, or rather a part of someone important to her still with her when she left. Edward had been surprised when Carlisle confirmed her pregnancy, considering that she couldn't even bring herself to sleep with him on their honeymoon like she had been looking forward to. However when he figured the only other person she could have slept with willingly would have been Jacob, and she confirmed that she did, he had been beyond furious and almost looked as if he was going to attack her. It had been Rosalie that had quickly gotten her away from him and got him to back down. All throughout her pregnancy Rosalie, Emmett, Esme, and Carlisle had been her biggest support. Jasper supported from afar and bringing her things from stores that she needed. Alice and Edward however were completely against her pregnancy and even requested her termination of it, but she refused. Despite the friction being pregnant had caused between her, her husband, and his family, she did not once regret having Sarah. Following Sarah's birth Edward decided he'd try to be a father to Sarah, but every time he got near her or tried to hold her, Sarah would begin crying or screaming bloody murder. And it hadn't been just Edward, it had been the entire Cullen clan. When Sarah turned two she began warming up to Esme and Rosalie, and to Emmett and Carlisle and year later. Jasper was fond of Sarah as well, but stated that her blood smelled sweeter than Bella's and thus stayed far away. Alice, while still staying civil with Bella, wanted nothing to do with Sarah and had nothing to do with her if she could help it. But concerning Edward, Sarah did not ever warm up to him and didn't like him, her dislike obvious.

Even so Bella tried to maintain a happy marriage, but she soon eventually realized over the years that she did not love Edward anymore. She had been able to hide that fact for a while until Edward had overheard her telling Sarah that she believed she still loved her real father. Edward had confronted her and she had ended up telling him she no longer loved him. Something in Edward had snapped that day and when Bella had approached him in hopes of a peaceful divorce, the vampire had refused and had even gone as far as to threaten her with Sarah. He said that if she ever left him he would harm Sarah in ways she could never imagine. She couldn't believe he would stoop so low as to do that, but he was and so she was stuck still being married to Edward while unhappy in the marriage all to make sure Sarah was safe. However she hadn't thought that Sarah would depart Colorado for Forks, Washington to go and meet Jacob. And now because of her daughter's actions, she had come to Forks to get her back and Edward knew there was a possibility that she would run into Jacob again, but still insisted she not do so and stay away from him. And because she knew Jacob could be just as stubborn as she was, he wasn't going to let her go, not until she answered the questions he was bound to have. Even so, she wasn't sure she could answer them all.

Taking a deep breath Bella said, "Jacob, you have to understand that I didn't let you or anyone know about Sarah for a reason."

Jacob scoffed and retorted, "No, no I don't have to understand. Damn it Bella, I didn't even know I had fathered a child with you until literally yesterday. What's more is that she seems to know all about me and our relationship and I barely even know our daughter's favorite color, what her favorite TV show is, what videogames she might like. The fact that I'm learning all of these things now is concerning to me, despite the fact that I'm loving every second spending with Sarah."

"Jacob, I'm not going to fight with you over this. I'm just here to get Sarah and go back to Colorado."

"Like hell you will. I'm not letting you take Sarah out of my life when I've just found her."

Bella closed her eyes briefly before saying, "Edward is waiting on us."

"Fuck him!"

"Jake!"

Jacob shook his head as he stood up and said, "You always have to run back to that bloodsucker, don't you? Even after twelve years you're still doing it, even when your marriage to him is on the rocks and an obvious sham and you can't get divorced."

The brunette stared at the Shifter in shock before asking, "How do you know my marriage to Edward isn't working out?"

"Sarah told me. She told me you've been trying to divorce your leech for the past two years and he won't let you. It makes me concerned not only about you and how you're being treated there with him and his leech family, but for Sarah as well. Hell, she even told me she swears he watches her while she sleeps."

"I…I didn't know he was doing that."

"How could you not know? You told me he watched you sleep as well. And Sarah doesn't like it. She doesn't like him and feels uncomfortable around him but is forced to be because you refuse to walk away and think of what's best for our daughter. And how do you think I feel knowing all of this and not having been able to stop it because of your selfishness?"

Bella could feel the guilt and shame well up in her at Jacob's words. He had every right to be upset and accuse her of being negligent of Sarah, but he just didn't understand the circumstances. Then again, it wasn't like she was trying to make him understand either. She was trying to shut him out, _again_. She knew she should tell Jacob the truth about why she couldn't divorce Edward, about why she was making Sarah stay away from him, but knowing how he'd react it was just better to go along without answering any questions.

As if reading her thoughts Jacob said, "Bella please, don't shut me out again. Please tell me what's going on so I can help you, if only for Sarah's sake."

Closing her eyes tightly Bella shook her head, refusing to let Jacob know anything about what was really going on back in Colorado. However she was surprised when she felt warm hands cup her face and wipe away tears that she hadn't even realized had fallen down her cheeks. Opening her eyes she looked into familiar brown ones that, despite the present hurt in them, were still filled with that undying, unconditional love that Jacob held for her. More tears fell from her eyes as she closed them again, knowing that she didn't deserve the love Jacob had for her. Even so she still loved him and always had; Sarah was obvious proof of that. And just thinking of Sarah and knowing how happy she probably was just to be here with the family she never knew made her think of how sad she'd be going back to Colorado to the Cullens. She hated seeing her daughter unhappy and if she could she would take her far away from Edward, but she couldn't and it was all her fault.

Making a decision that she knew could change the course of how things were going, she decided to tell Jacob why she was still staying with Edward. She figured he at least still deserved to know that before retrieving Sarah and going back home. Taking a deep breath she said, "Jake, the reason I'm still with Edward is because of Sarah."

Jacob frowned in confusion before asking, "What do you mean?"

"I'm protecting her by staying with Edward."

"How? How can raising her in a coven of vampires be safe? What does your leech have to do with Sarah?"

"Edward is refusing to divorce and is forcing me to stay with him or else he'll hurt Sarah. He knows Sarah doesn't like him and that I no longer love him and want to leave, but he threatened to hurt her if I did. He hasn't liked her since she was born and resents me for being unfaithful with you and getting pregnant. He blames you and in addition me for Sarah and her not wanting anything to do with him. You have to understand I can't let him hurt Sarah. And the only way to make sure he won't and keep Sarah safe is by staying with him, even when I don't want to and I'm starting to look like his mother rather than his wife."

A tense silence fell between them as Bella held her breath anticipating what Jacob would do. Jacob however was seething and it was taking everything in him to not just phase right then and there. That leech…that goddamn bloodsucker was forcing the mother of his child to stay with him against her will by threatening his daughter. He had always wanted to kill Cullen, but now he definitely wanted to kill him and wouldn't be happy until he was watching his ashes burn. But it wouldn't do to lose it now, especially with Bella being vulnerable right now.

Taking a moment to calm himself Jacob let go of Bella's face and stood up straight before saying, "You're not going back to him, and Sarah isn't either. You're both going to stay here."

"Jake, you know I can't do that," Bella told him, pleading with her eyes for him to understand her situation.

"You can and you will. I'm going to protect you and Sarah, Bella. I promise I won't let anything happen to her or you, especially concerning the bloodsucker."

"Jake-"

"Trust me, Bells. You have to believe that I won't let him or anything hurt you and Sarah."

The brunette stared at Jacob before nodding and saying softly, "I know. I'm just scared of what's going to happen in the future, that's all."

"Let's worry about that when the time comes. But for now, let's go see our daughter."

A small smile appeared on Bella's lips and she nodded before standing and following Jacob out of the Black home and to his car, getting into it to drive to the Swan house in Forks. Bella had to take a deep breath as she suddenly felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off of her shoulders for the first time in years. She should have known confiding in Jacob would be alright, but her fears got in the way. But even so, her own personal sun seemed to make everything better.

Just as they entered Forks Jacob said, "By the way, one of the Pack Imprinted on Sarah last night."

With wide eyes Bella asked, "Who?"

"Seth," Jacob answered with a slight grin.

Bella said nothing at first as her mind thought back to when she had last seen Seth. The always happy and jovial Shifter was the sweetest thing one could ever come across and she knew any girl would be lucky to have him. So to hear that her daughter was his Imprint made her feel…well, it made her feel alright. Seth was loyal to a fault and she knew that he'd protect Sarah come hell or high water.

Smiling she replied, "Okay. If I had to choose one of them it would be Seth."

"Me too," Jacob said, causing both of them to laugh softly. Yes, it was alright and to Bella, everything seemed like it would suddenly be alright.


	5. Chapter 5

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 5

Bella trembled as she stood at the front door of her old home, so afraid to raise her fist and knock on the door. Sure, she had her old house key and could just walk in herself, but she didn't feel right about using it, especially after no contact with her father for twelve years. She almost wanted to bolt and run, but she knew she wouldn't get very far with Jacob with her. That and she knew she owed it to herself and to Charlie to see him again and try to explain herself.

A comforting hand on her shoulder made her look up at Jacob who gave her a reassuring smile. Gently rubbing her shoulder with his thumb he said, "It's okay, you can do this Bells."

The brunette nodded and took a deep breath before going ahead and knocking on the door. They waited a moment before the door opened and Bella's eyes met the matching ones of her father. Giving him a weak smile she said softly, "Hi dad."

Charlie said nothing as he stared at his daughter in disbelief at the fact that she was really there, and just when Bella was afraid he wasn't happy to see her, Charlie grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her in a close hug. Tears weld up in Bella's eyes as her father hugged her. The last time he had hugged her like this, it had been the day she had gotten married and she had been sure she would never see him again. She had told him that she would always love him forever, believing that she'd be a vampire by this point and know Charlie would wither and die away as the years passed with her forever eighteen. Now here she was thirty-one years old, still human and with a twelve year old child. The path she had chosen had veered off drastically and it ended up with her back where her life took a turn for the first time.

Pulling away from her Charlie looked at Bella and said, "I'm so happy to see you, kiddo. I always thought I'd be furious when I saw you again—and don't get me wrong, because I absolutely am—but I'm still just so happy to see my little girl again." He turned towards Jacob and said, "Hi son. You're father is inside."

Jacob smiled and said, "Hi Charlie. Can we come inside?"

"Of course, come on in."

Charlie, Bella, and Jacob stepped inside the yellow house and made their way to the living room where Billy was cheering for the Mariners that were playing, Sarah doing the same and cheering when the Mariners scored. Jacob chuckled, already seeing that his daughter was turning into a Mariners fan. He didn't think his dad and Charlie would be able to convert her, but looked like he was wrong. Charlie cleared his throat and said, "Look who showed up."

Billy turned his head and his smile slipped from his face as his brown eyes landed on Bella. Quickly putting it back on he said, "Hello Bella. It's good to see you again."

"Y-You too, Billy," Bella replied nervously. She hadn't the slightest idea how Billy felt about her now. Looking at her daughter she said, "Sarah."

"Hi mom," Sarah replied softly. She knew she was most likely in trouble, especially now that her mother was here to most likely get her and return to Colorado, but she didn't want to leave. She had only been in Forks for two days and she already loved it. Turning her chocolate brown eyes to Jacob she said, "Hi dad."

Jacob smiled at her and said, "Hi Sarah. Have you been having fun with Charlie?"

"Yeah, it's been great! He and Grandpa Billy said that they're going to take me fishing one day. And Grandpa Charlie is going to show me how to use a rifle when I'm a little older."

"What? No! Absolutely not!" Bella cried, surprised to hear that.

"Sure, why not?" Jacob said.

"Jake!"

"What? I think it's fine if she knows how to use one if ever she need to."

"She's twelve!"

"And if she's old enough to hop on a plane and fly here by herself, she'd old enough to decide to know how to use a rifle."

Bella stared at Jacob in disbelief as Jacob stared at her in return, not breaking eye contact with her. Charlie and Billy watched in bemusement at the two, remembering how their offsprings' bickering would be amusing, just as it was now. However things were different now, the main thing being they had a child together that Jacob hadn't known about until the previous day and said child was getting to know the family her mother had neglected to introduce her to herself. They hadn't the slightest idea how things would work with both Jacob and Bella present, especially if Bella was trying to take Sarah back to Colorado.

Sarah walked up to her mother and said, "Mom, I know you don't like being here in Forks and basically hate it for some reason or other, but can't we stay for a few days or weeks? Please? I love it here so much already and I don't want to be away from dad and my grandpas. Please say we can stay for longer."

Bella looked into her daughter's pleading puppy dog eyes, the exact way Jacob could make his go if he wanted her to cave. Sarah was as good a master at them as Jacob and Bella couldn't say no to her even if she tried. However her mind was reverberating with Edward's words for her to return home as soon as she got Sarah. At the same time her mind was also filled with Jacob's promise to protect them and how she had agreed to stay. She knew it wasn't completely right to just stay and not let the Cullens know it—even if she could care less what Edward thought—but she wanted to be happy again for once in her miserable life. Also for her home was where the heart was, something she thought had been with Edward and wherever he and his family went. But now she realized it was always in Forks where her real family was. Yes, things between her and Jacob were still very much tense, especially when the last time they had seen each other, he had been screaming while being dragged away from her at her wedding reception, but she knew she didn't want to be anywhere but at home with Charlie and Sarah. Also, Sarah obviously had no desire to return to Colorado and truthfully, neither did she.

Smiling down at Sarah she said, "Actually honey, we're not going back to Colorado."

"We're not?" Sarah asked surprised.

"No, we're going to stay here in Forks."

Charlie and Billy both displayed surprised expressions on their faces at Bella's statement. However Charlie's surprise turned to joy and he quickly wrapped his daughter and granddaughter in a tight embrace before saying, "This is great, kiddo! You and Sarah can move back into your old bedroom."

Jacob blinked and cleared his throat before saying, "Actually Charlie, I was thinking it'd be better if Bella and Sarah moved onto the Reservation with me and dad. Sarah's already kind of settled there and there is an extra bed for Bella to sleep in."

Billy frowned at his son's suggestion, wondering what he was up to. He had no problem with Sarah staying, but he still hadn't really resolved his feelings towards Bella. They weren't at all hostile, but he was still protective of Jacob concerning the brunette as he had been twelve years previous. Bella had continuously strung Jacob along, going back and forth between him and Cullen until ultimately choosing the vampire. And though he sympathized with her current predicament and knew she didn't have the same feelings for her husband, that didn't make him feel easy with her being back and choosing to stay, especially with Jacob encouraging it. Billy knew it wasn't the girl's fault, but Bella always brought trouble with her, _vampire_ trouble and had no doubt the Cullen boy would eventually show up to get his wife back. And he knew with Sarah involved and knowing how the Cullen boy felt about her, it wouldn't end well. However despite his uneasiness, he was happy to see Bella again and slightly glad she was here. And the reason for that was seeing his son happy and grinning the way he used to. He just wondered how the rest of the Pack would take Bella's return. They were sure to know by now Jacob had gotten her pregnant and had his child, but he could only imagine the blow up once they actually saw her in the flesh. Leah and Paul especially, considering they were still savoring ill feelings towards her.

"You alright, Billy?" Charlie asked. "You look like you're lost in thought."

"Hm? Oh, yes a little bit." Billy smiled up at Bella from his wheelchair. "Welcome home, Bella. I hope your return will be permanent."

"What's that supposed to mean? Of course it is," Charlie said.

Billy glanced at his best friend before looking back at Bella, ignoring Jacob's scowl at him. Both Jacob and Bella knew what Billy was implying, that one day Bella may decide to leave again, especially if Edward came for her and Sarah. Bella knew going against Edward's warning could possibly be detrimental to Sarah, but she also believed Sarah would be safer in Forks surrounded by the Pack and happy than with the Cullens, being closely watched by Edward and unhappy.

Looking Billy in his eye Bella said, "I'm here to stay and I'm not leaving, no matter what happens; I promise."

Billy stared at Bella and searched her eyes for a moment before giving her a nod and smile. Turning back to the television he said, "Come on chief, let's get back to the game. The Mariners are going to win for sure this time."

"Yeah, let's watch!" Sarah said, getting comfortable next to Billy again. "Come on, Grandpa Charlie!"

Charlie chuckled before turning back to Bella and Jacob saying, "Well I've been summoned. Do you have all of your bags and clothes here, kiddo?"

"No, and neither does Sarah. But I'll buy us more clothes," Bella replied. Looking up at him she asked, "Dad, are you okay with Sarah and I moving to La Push? We can move back here if you want."

Jacob felt his heart stall a bit in his chest at Bella's question. He knew she was asking to see what Charlie would want, but he knew if Bella and Sarah moved into the Swan house, the little pixie would be able to see them and let her douche bag of a brother know that Bella had no intention of returning. And Bella had never liked hurting Charlie and would most likely agree to move back in with him if he asked. Before he could think more about what would happen Charlie answered, "Yes, I'm fine with you both moving into Billy's house. It'll be best for Sarah to be close to Jacob and get to know her Quileute background. And you'll be close for me to visit, as well. But honestly, I'm just glad you're back home, Bella."

Bella smiled at Charlie and nodded before telling him she had to go and get her things out of the hotel she was staying at. Charlie nodded and allowed her and Jacob to leave before returning to the Mariners game with his best friend and granddaughter.

* * *

At the hotel Bella packed her things, double checking to make sure she had everything. When she was sure she did, she and Jacob left the room and walked to the checkout counter to check out and return her key. As they left the hotel and got into Jacob's car, Jacob said, "I was just wondering…did you want to get something to eat?"

The brunette looked at Jacob with a raised eyebrow before looking out the window, silently shaking her head. In a soft voice she said, "I just want to buy clothes for Sarah and I and rest. I know we had a moment earlier today, but I don't think I have the wherewithal to try dating again, especially when I'm still married. I'd rather just cohabitate and focus on co-parenting Sarah."

Jacob frowned before nodding and cranking his car. He could understand where Bella was coming from, but that didn't mean he didn't want a chance to court her again. He loved Bella and wanted to be with her and raise Sarah and be a family, but he knew it wasn't going to be any easier than it had been to get her to admit she loved him when they had been teenagers. That had been like pulling teeth and twisting her arm and wasn't sure he wanted to try that again. Maybe it would be best to just let Bella be romantically.

As he drove into town, he hummed softly to himself while driving to the clothing store. As he hummed, he didn't notice Bella turning her head slightly towards him, intently listening to his deep, gentle humming. It was so soothing to her and whatever anxiety she had been feeling had begun to melt away. Not all of it she was sure, but enough to make her comfortable, though she was always comfortable in Jacob's presence. Soon they reached the clothing store and Jacob parked the car. Getting out of the car Bella reached into her jacket and pulled out her wallet. As she opened it Jacob asked, "Are you making sure you have enough cash?"

Shaking her head Bella answered, "No, I have enough. I've been steadily pulling out money from the many accounts Edward has made in our name and putting it into a private account just for me over the years. I'm surprised he and Alice haven't figured it out yet. But what I'm doing is getting rid of these."

Bella pulled out at least ten bank cards and held them up to Jacob. Jacob looked at them incredulously, finding it ridiculous that those leeches had so many bank accounts, and probably more at several banks around the world. And all of the ones Bella were holding up said _'Isabella Marie Cullen'_. Bella handed them to him before taking one and instantly snapping it in half, surprising Jacob with the action. She did the same to the others before giving him a small smile and saying, "That felt good."

Reaching back into her wallet she pulled out a single card and held it up, this one saying _'Bella M. Swan'_. Putting it back in her wallet she said, "I'll be using this one from now on, that way Edward can't trace the cards and realize I'm staying in Forks sooner than he will eventually find out." She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and looked at it for a moment before throwing it onto the ground, smashing it instantly. She then began stomping on it harshly, surprising Jacob even more. Eventually Bella stopped stomping on the broken phone and huffed before bending down and picking up the SIM card and pocketing it saying, "I'll destroy this later and get a new phone and number. Well, let's go Jake."

As Bella seemed to strut towards the store, Jacob stood in shock watching her go. Bella had just snapped all of the bank cards tied to Cullen in half and smashed her phone. He looked down at the pile of broken cards on the ground before bending down and picking the pieces up, then running after Bella. He tossed them in the trashcan outside of the building before joining the brunette inside. And as he did he couldn't help but smile. Bella was ready to start a new life back in Forks and not restrained by Cullen in any way. Maybe things would be alright after all.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hi guys! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I'm sorry this chapter is so late, but I've been having a bit of computer trouble and am starting my final semester of college. Any who, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and stay tuned for more. XOXO, SehunsBae37.**


	6. Chapter 6

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 6

Later that night in the Black household, Bella sat at the kitchen table with a lit candle and a pair of tweezers, the SIM card held between them. Currently she was holding the little chip inside of the flame, watching it slowly burned away. She had an almost detached expression on her face and didn't even notice when Jacob walked into the kitchen. Frowning Jacob asked, "What are you doing?"

"Burning this SIM card so Edward can't track me anymore," Bella answered.

"SIM cards can't be tracked unless they're in a device."

Bella gave the man a deadpan look before saying, "You don't know Edward like I do. I know for a fact that he can track me through this SIM card. And Rosalie even confirmed that she caught him putting a small tracking chip on it before putting it back in my phone while I was sleeping one night."

Jacob frowned further before asking, "Why didn't you just get another phone?"

"Because I knew he'd do it again. He's been keeping me under watch for years, deliberately making sure I made no plans to leave him, as if the threat about concerning Sarah wasn't enough."

The two of them were silent for a while, the only sound being the sparking of the SIM card in the flame of the candle. Jacob moved to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water as he previously had been doing before getting distracted by what the brunette was doing. As he opened the bottle and drank from it, he couldn't help but ponder how he could get Bella to talk to him about their unresolved issues and feelings for each other. He was positive she still loved him, but she had no desire to talk to him about either issue. It was so frustrating but he also understood he couldn't react the way he had when he had been a teenager. No, he had matured over the past twelve years and could take it now if he was rejected by a woman. But Bella was different and he knew he would take it personal every time she rejected him, just like he had years ago, but he wouldn't let it be known this time. After all, Cullen always seemed to use it against him and rub the fact that Bella chose him in his face.

Thinking of Cullen made him think of how that jackass treated not only Bella, but Sarah since the Cullens relocated out of Forks and how he had threatened Bella. He still couldn't get over that, considering he always spouted how he'd never do anything to hurt the brunette and how he would let her go if she chose to leave him. It was just a bunch of bullshit; he knew it then and it was obvious it was now. He only wished Bella had been able to see it, but she hadn't wanted her eyes opened at the time and ignored everyone looking out for her best interests. Even so, he felt as if there was another reason why Bella had agreed to marry the bloodsucker, especially when she had never expressed any interest in marriage at all. He wanted to question her about it, but after the emotional day Bella had, he didn't want to pry any more. He would let her get settled and let some of the tension die down, then maybe later she'd want to open up.

Bella smiled when the entire SIM card was burnt to a crisp before putting it on the table and blowing out the candle. She walked over to the kitchen sink and looked under it, remembering a hammer being kept there. Opening the cabinet doors she smiled seeing the hammer there and grabbed it before turning back to the table. Getting a good grip on it she brought the hammer down on the burnt card, instantly smashing it and doing it three more times for good measure. Setting the hammer down she swept the pieces of burnt metal into her hand and walked over to the trashcan, tossing them in. Turning back to face Jacob she noticed him staring at her with a look of fascination on his face. Flushing a bit she asked, "What?"

"Nothing," Jacob replied. "So, did you want to talk or watch a movie or something?"

"No, thank you. I think I'd rather just be myself for right now. And no offense Jake, but I'd prefer it if you didn't stick so close to me."

"Oh, sorry," Jacob said, his heart clenching painfully in his chest. There it was, that rejection that would always hurt him. However he kept his expression stoic before nodding and suggesting maybe another time before heading towards the front door. Opening the door he told her he'd be in his garage before leaving the house, closing the door behind himself.

The brunette looked after him, her own heart clenching in her chest. She didn't know why, or rather didn't want to acknowledge why, but her heart already knew no matter what she told herself. She knew her rejection had hurt Jacob and the one thing she absolutely hated in the world was hurting Jacob, no matter how big or small. Even so, she had to do it despite not wanting to. It didn't matter how much she still loved Jacob or how she wanted nothing more than to spend time with him alone. She had to keep her distance as much as possible and set boundaries this time. She wouldn't allow a romantic relationship to blossom like it had when they were teenagers, even though she was with Edward and insisting all she wanted was Edward. No, this time her relationship with Jacob would be strictly friends co-parenting their daughter, and she would rebuild her life and relationships with those around her and make sure Sarah enjoyed life and stayed safe. Sarah was her first priority and she was going to finally put her first.

Shaking her head she headed down the hallway to the twins' old room and entered it, smiling when she found Sarah reading a book and listening to music on her iPod. Closing the door behind her Bella walked over to the bed Sarah was occupying and sat down, drawing the girl's attention. Sarah smiled and took her earpiece out of her one of her ears before saying, "Hi mom."

"Hi," Bella replied. "What are you reading?"

"It's a book from the library that I got when Grandpa Charlie took me to there. It's a book about a witch that meets this guy and believes that she's in love with him after a whirlwind romance. However the guy turns out to be a vicious vampire that cast an undetected spell on her to make her love him. And now she's trying to get help to get rid of the spell on her because she can't do it herself and the vampire refuses to because he claims to love her and refuses to let her go. And she believes that even with the removal of the spell, she'll still love him."

Bella's heart stopped momentarily in her chest at hearing about the contents of the book her daughter was reading. Putting on a fake expression of innocent interest on her face Bella said, "Oh, that sounds like something interesting…and complicated."

Sarah giggled and responded saying, "No, that's the simple part. The complicated part about the story is that the witch is friends with a werewolf who is helplessly in love with her and is trying to help get the spell off of her. But what makes this part of the story interesting is that she's in love with him too, but still loves the vampire and is trying to convince herself that perhaps she can love them both if the spell can never be removed, and if it is removed she could still love them. But she's at a crossroads as to whether she wants to be with the werewolf or the vampire in the end when it's all over. Mom, it's so good!"

"Honey, you read this book in just a few hours?"

"I'm not done with it yet, but I'm a little over halfway done with it. It's a good thing things like this doesn't happen in real life, right mom?"

"Y-Yeah, a good thing." This book her daughter was reading sounded like it had major aspects about her own life. Wanting to see the cover of the book she said, "Can I see that book for a moment, Sarah?"

Sarah handed the book to her mother saying, "Sure, just don't lose my place."

Bella smiled and nodded before sticking her finger in the book on the page her daughter was on, taking a look at the cover. The cover of the book had a full moon, a wand and cauldron, and a castle on it. And in gold print across the top of the book, the title of the book simply read _Caught Between_. The title didn't go over Bella's head in the slightest, especially with what her daughter had told her of the book. The witch in the book was caught between two loves, one that genuinely loved her and her him, and one that made her love him while also claiming to love her and her convincing herself that she'll still love him afterwards. She noticed there was a golden Best Seller sticker on the cover. The book must have been really popular as well as a good read for it to get this sticker on it.

Handing the book back to her daughter Bella said, "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Who is the author?"

Sarah looked at the bottom of the book at the author name and said, "Angie W. Call." She dog-eared her page and closed the book, opening the back cover and holding up the book to her mother to show her the author's picture. "There she is."

Chocolate brown eyes widened in shock as Bella snatched the book back from her daughter and stared at the picture of the bespectacled woman with dark hair smiling back at her. The woman was so familiar there was no denying Bella knew who she was. In fact, she had gone to high school with her and had made a good friend in her.

 _"Angela?!"_

* * *

The next morning Sarah sat at the table eating a breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon while watching her mother bite her lip and tap her pointer finger quickly on the table while seeming to stare off into space. Sarah knew her mother well she liked to think and knew her mother did this whenever she was anxious or worrying over something. In fact, Bella had been acting weird ever since finding out the author of the book she had been reading. Actually, she had started acting weird the moment she told her the plot of the book, though she could tell she tried to cover it up. Frowning Sarah asked, "Mom, are you okay?"

Bella looked at her daughter and said, "Hm? What? Oh, yes, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Sarah was giving her the exact same expression Jacob would give her whenever he knew she was lying. It amazed her how much Sarah looked like her father and picked up on her emotions the same way he did. Before she could answer the front door opened and Jacob walked in followed by Seth.

"Morning," Jacob replied a bit tiredly. He had stayed up late working on an old motorcycle he had bought from a lot and then had decided to go for a run in his wolf form. During that time he had run into Seth seeing in his mind that he wanted to see Sarah, he invited him to his house for breakfast.

Sarah smiled at her father and stood up from her seat, running to hug him tightly around his middle. Jacob smiled and returned her hug, the sight making Bella smile warmly at them. She couldn't believe that she had deprived both Sarah and Jacob of this, but it seemed like they were already making up for lost time and enjoying it. Looking past him she saw Seth looking at her daughter with practically sparkling eyes, and it was then she remembered Jacob had told her Seth had Imprinted on Sarah. Walking over to him she smiled and greeted, "Good morning, Seth."

Seth looked at Bella and smiled brightly before wrapping her up in a hug, lifting her off the ground and spinning her in a circle saying, "Bella, hi! It's so good to see you again!"

Bella laughed softly and returned the hug before he let her down. Turning to Sarah she saw her looking at them and said, "Sarah, this is your dad's good friend Seth Clearwater. Seth, this is mine and Jake's daughter Sarah."

"Nice to meet you, Sarah," Seth said with a grin, happy to officially be meeting his Imprint.

Sarah looked up at him with wide eyes before smiling and replying, "You too, Seth."

Jacob smiled a little before saying, "Seth is here to join us for breakfast."

"Awesome! Come on, I'll make you a plate. Mom won't mind." Sarah grabbed Seth's hand and drug him to the kitchen, catching Seth by surprise a bit from her action.

Jacob moved closer to Bella and said in a low voice, "I told him not to mention Imprinting or anything of the sort to Sarah or explain why he'll be around more."

Bella looked at Jacob and said, "Jake, he's going to want to spend as much time with her as possible. Besides, we'll have to tell her about the Quileute wolf Shifters at some point and explain about Imprinting."

"I know, but until I'm ready to tell her, I'd rather just let them have this time to get to know each other without the Imprint being known instantly to Sarah like it was to Emily and Kim."

The brunette nodded before nodding her head to the door to let Jacob know she wanted to talk to him outside. The two of them stepped out of the house onto the porch before Jacob asked, "What is it?"

Bella bit her lip for a moment before asking, "Jacob, does Embry still live here in La Push?"

Jacob frowned at the question, wondering why Bella wanted to know about Embry. Was she asking to see if he was available or something? No, she wouldn't do that, but she was obviously curious for some reason about his friend. Nodding he said, "Yes, he does. Why do you ask?"

"Is he married?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Who'd he marry?"

"You're old friend, Angela Webber."

Bella closed her eyes before putting her hands over her face and let out a muffled scream. Angela had married Embry! That meant she knew about the Shifters and vampires and her life kept a secret from everyone normal in her life! And she had taken that information and made a best-selling book using it! She didn't know whether to be mad at Angela or flattered that she was her friend's inspiration for her book.

Calming down Bella took a deep breath before dropping her hands to look at Jacob. Jacob was looking at her in concern as he had been startled by her reaction to knowing Angela had married Embry. What was the big deal? He didn't understand. Cautiously he asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to their house. I'd like to see my old friend and have some girl time," Bella said.

Jacob raised an eyebrow at Bella before nodding. He stepped back inside of his house and grabbed his car keys, telling Sarah he and Bella were off to see some friends and asked if she wanted to tag along. Sarah nodded and went to join her parents in Jacob's car, Seth tagging along as well. As they all piled in the car and Jacob drove off to the Call house, Bella steeled herself to meet Angela again after twelve years. She had no idea how the woman would react upon seeing her again, but if Angela was still as understanding and sweet as she had been back in high school, then maybe everything would be okay. At the very least she hoped so.


	7. Chapter 7

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 7

Bella stared in awe at the home that belonged to Angela and Embry Call. They lived in a cute little cabin near a natural lake that Bella had never seen before during her many visits to the Reservation. There was a beautifully kept flower bed and a cobblestone walkway, and ornamental vines surrounding the front door. It was such a beautiful home with nice surrounding scenery; Bella couldn't help feeling a bit envious of the married couple.

Jacob looked at Bella as she stared at the home, watching how her chocolate brown eyes sparkled at the sight. He looked down at Sarah and saw her with the same awestruck expression on her face. He smiled as he watched a grin spread across her small face before saying, "Come on, let's go meet our friends."

Sarah nodded and walked with her father to the front door, Seth following behind and Bella bringing up the rear. Raising his fist Jacob knocked on the door and waited patiently, a smile coming on his face as he heard his friend call for them to wait a minute. A minute later the door opened to reveal Embry and Bella had to admit that the years have been good to the man. She had always liked him the most out of Jacob's friends, as he was always nice to her outside of Seth and Quil, and he always seemed a bit shy. It wasn't really a surprise to her that he ended up with Angela if she thought about it. But it did make her wonder if their marriage was a result of Imprinting. And thinking of Imprinting made her wonder if Jacob had done so already on some other woman. She felt her heart constrict in her chest at the thought, but before she could think more on why it would do so Embry began speaking.

"Jake, Seth, hey. It's good to see you guys," Embry greeted with a smile. Looking past them a bit his eyes widened at seeing the face of the woman he hadn't seen in almost thirteen years. "Bella?"

"H-Hi," Bella stuttered out nervously.

Sarah could see that her mother was rather nervous, even though she said this man was an old friend. She frowned a bit before looking back up at the man and greeted, "Hello."

Embry looked down at Sarah with a raised eyebrow before his eyes widened a second time. This little girl looked just like his best friend! Looking up at Jacob he asked, "Jake, is she what I think she is?"

Jacob nodded and asked if they could enter, to which Embry let them inside. Just as they stepped inside the home and moved to the living room to settle down into seats, Angela walked out of the kitchen. Stopping to look at their guests she was surprised to see a familiar face she hadn't seen in over ten years, but a bright smile stretched across her face nonetheless.

"Bella! It's so good to see you again!" Angela said as she moved to hug the brunette, the action catching Bella a little off guard. Even so, Bella returned the hug and smiled as a feeling of relief and comfort washed over her. Angela always had that affect on her, and she had always been so sweet and understanding, giving her more chances than she deserved for their lost friendship. Bella wished she had made an effort to keep her close as a friend, but instead had allowed Edward to pull her away, keeping her wrapped up in his world.

Pulling away from the hug Angela said, "I'm so happy to see you here. It's been so long, how have you been?"

Bella hesitated a bit to answer before finally replying, "I've been okay. I've been better."

"Oh?" The concern in Angela's voice was obvious. "Have things been alright since you moved from Forks after marrying Edward?"

No, they hadn't been alright, not that she wanted to tell her that. But seeing as Angela knew about vampires and Shifters and the like, she was sure she could talk to her about what was going on. And even though Angela was with Embry now, she knew she wouldn't pass judgment on her; at least she hoped she wouldn't now. However before answering Sarah suddenly gasped out loud at recognizing the woman her mother was talking to.

"You're Angie W. Call!" Sarah cried in excitement. "I'm almost done reading your book! It's so good! The fantasy world you created is _amazing_! And the drama is so compelling!"

Angela looked at Sarah and took notice of how she seemed to resemble not only Bella, but Jacob as well. If she was surprised at seeing a child that looked like those two—and she was—she didn't show it. Instead she smiled and said, "Thank you so much. I'm glad you're enjoying it." Looking back at Bella she asked, "Bella, would you like to help me in the kitchen?"

Knowing Angela was really asking her if she wanted to talk with her, Bella nodded and followed her friend into the kitchen. When they were gone Jacob turned to Embry and said, "And I'd like to talk to you too, Em."

"Sure," Embry said before suggesting they head outside to the lake. He turned to Sarah and Seth saying, "You can watch the television if you want, or play the chess game in the corner…or something."

Sarah's eyes lit up at the mention of the chess game and quickly went to get it while thanking Embry. She sat it on the coffee table and looked at Seth with a mischievous smile. "Want to play? I'm really good and will beat you in less than twenty moves."

Seth chuckled and sat on the carpet on the other side of the table before saying, "Sure, but just so you know my dad taught me how to play and he was really good. So don't feel bad if you lose in less than twenty moves."

He laughed out loud as Sarah stuck her tongue out at him while she set up the chess pieces on either side of the chessboard. Once the pieces were set she moved a pawn before saying with a smile, "We'll see about that. Your move."

* * *

Bella watched Angela prepare tea for them as she lightly nibbled on a homemade scone given to her. When the tea was done Angela poured some into two teacups, she moved to the table where Bella was seated and placed one in front of her before sitting in the seat next to her. She blew on the hot beverage before taking a sip, then she began asking, "I take it that little girl in there is yours and Jacob's?"

Bella nodded as she looked down into her tea.

"And she seems to be about twelve? Maybe thirteen?"

"She's twelve, almost thirteen."

"And she doesn't know about the Shifters and vampires? I got that purely based on what she said about my book."

"Yeah, she doesn't know anything about it."

Angela nodded and took another sip of her tea before saying, "You're welcome to tell me about what's happened over the last decade."

Bella looked up at her old friend and asked cautiously, "And you won't judge me?"

"I've never judged you, Bella."

"Maybe, but your book seems to say otherwise. Sarah told me the plot of the story and I knew it was about me, especially when she showed me your author picture and Jacob confirmed you married Embry."

Angela frowned and said, "Bella, in no way did I make a judgment about you in my book. Yes, its events are inspired by your story, but it doesn't judge you. My protagonist, like you, had to make decision on who she wanted to be with and who she truly loved. But I promise I didn't judge your character in my book, and I've never judged you in real life. Even now I'm not judging you, especially knowing the circumstances. But you have to admit, you're secret life back in high school was really cool."

Bella smiled and laughed softly. "I suppose so."

"I'm sorry if my book offends you. But I promise that's the only book I've written based on true events about you. There will be no sequel or series. Besides, the book I'm currently writing now is about a girl trying to navigate her life in the mortal world without revealing the fact that she's the daughter of a demon lord."

"Demon lord?"

"She's also half-angel and is an outcast in both Heaven and Hell. She's just trying to find her place in the world and what purpose she has or is meant to do."

"Sounds deep. But I'm proud that you've become an accomplished writer. That's something I would have liked to do."

Angela looked down for a moment before saying, "You know, when I got together with Embry—about a year after you got married and moved away—and he revealed all of this supernatural stuff to me, I believed you to be dead. Living as a vampire, but still dead. I really missed you and knew I wouldn't see you again, and I remembered that you had said once that you would like to write a book one day and become an author. I know it was a passing thought for you, but I could really see you doing that. But considering the circumstances of your life, I knew it probably wasn't possible. So I decided to become an author in honor of you. It's been very rewarding and it helped me keep the memory of you alive." Angela gently grabbed Bella's hand and gave it a squeeze. "You've always been a good friend to me and were always more understanding of me than Jessica ever was. You even gave me the courage to ask out Ben back then. I've always enjoyed your company and never gave up on you like the others did. You're my best girl friend and I'm so happy that you're back."

Tears filled brown eyes and spilt over onto Bella's cheeks. She hadn't expected Angela's words towards her, but they made her feel warm inside. She knew for a fact that she didn't deserve the kindness and obvious forgiveness Angela was giving her, but it still made her feel good all the same. Angela was an angel walking this earth and though she didn't deserve her as a friend, she was glad she still had her as one. Wiping her tears Bella smiled and said softly, "Thank you."

Smiling Angela nodded before saying with a playful smirk, "Now tell me about you and Jacob. I always figured he was probably more than a friend and your daughter is proof of that, so tell me what's going on. What was it like? How was he? He was amazing, right?"

A deep blush appeared on Bella's face before she cleared her throat and said, "Uh, I don't feel comfortable talking about that with Sarah in the next room."

Angela giggled and patted Bella's hand, deciding to let up on her teasing so her friend wouldn't be so flustered anymore. She knew there was more Bella probably had or wanted to tell her, but she wouldn't pressure her to do so. Bella would tell her everything in time when she felt ready to, and she would be there to listen when she did.

* * *

Embry stared at Jacob in shock as he processed everything his friend had told him. He blinked a few times before asking, "So Cullen had blackmailed Bella into staying with him by threatening to hurt your daughter? That's…that's sick. What awful person would threaten a mother and her child?"

Jacob nodded and said, "Yes, but we've always known the leech was no good. But luckily Bella has decided to stay here in Forks and she and Sarah have moved into my house, so they can be protected."

Nodding Embry said, "Yeah, that's good. And with Seth having Imprinted on Sarah, there is no way he's going to let Cullen get close to her. I know he was the only one to get along with Cullen, but I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate to kill him now if he actually tries to harm Sarah."

"Me too. But yeah, I just wanted to catch you up on what's been going on the past two days. I know I gave you some time off from phasing and you wouldn't know what's been going on."

"Speaking of phasing, does the rest of the Pack know that Bella is back and with a daughter she had with you?"

Jacob shook his head. "No, just you and Seth know. Quil has been busy taking care of Old Quil, Paul is on vacation with Rachel—though they should be returning soon, Jared is on his honeymoon with Kim, Collin and Brady haven't phased since vampires left the area, and Sam and Leah…"

The Pack brothers fell into a somber silence at the thought of their last mentioned Pack members. Jacob cleared his throat to cut through the silence before saying, "Well, I'm just going to hope everything will be alright. But with the little pixie seeing the future and all, I wouldn't be surprised if she's keeping tabs on both Bella and Sarah. And if Cullen even steps foot back into Forks and tries to harm my family, I'll rip his head from his shoulders."

Embry smiled at the mention of Bella being his family. Jacob had never lost his love for the brunette, even when she had stomped all over his heart when they were teenagers. Time had healed him, but he still loved her deeply and knew she was the only person to ever be able to cut him deeply. Even so, she was the mother of his child and he believed her to be family; always had before Sarah and always will.

Deciding to lighten the mood a bit Embry said, "Well, I have some news to share." A happy smile appeared on his face. "Angie and I are having a baby. We just found out yesterday."

Jacob grinned at his friend and clapped a hand on his shoulder saying, "Congratulations, man. That's great news and I'm happy for you guys. I'll tell you now that fatherhood is actually fun. I know I missed out on Sarah being a baby and changing diapers and getting up in the middle of the night and all that, but from what I've experienced with her in the past two days has made me realize that I wouldn't give it up for the world. You'll enjoy it Embry, and you'll treasure the little boy or girl that comes into yours and Angela's life. I already treasure Sarah and wouldn't give her up for anything."

"Thanks Jake. I'll admit, I am nervous though. But Angela promised to not tell anyone if I pass out during the birthing process."

Jacob threw his head back and laughed, already seeing in his head Embry passing out from watching his wife trying to push out their baby. Embry chuckled himself and scratched the back of his head. They spoke a bit longer before heading back the Call home. As they entered they heard Sarah say, "Checkmate. That's five wins to your four, Sethy."

"What are you two up to?" Jacob asked as he moved to sit next to his daughter while Embry sat on the couch near Seth.

Sarah smiled and answered, "Playing chess. I'm beating Seth."

"By one," Seth said with a smile. Setting up the board again he said, "I'll win again this time, though."

Smirking Jacob said, "Seth, I've beat you in chess before several times, and in less than ten moves. I can just help Sarah beat you this time."

"Don't you dare, Jake."

Sarah giggled and snuggled up against her father before saying, "We're going to kick your butt, Sethy."

The three men laughed at the preteen's words as Sarah moved a pawn to start the new game. As they all talked and laughed with each other over the game, Bella lingered in the doorway of Angela's kitchen and watched them with a smile. She felt so much happiness watching them interact with Sarah and how easily Sarah took to Embry, just like she had with Seth. Jacob was obvious, seeing as she always wanted to meet him and finally had. Furthermore, she was glad Jacob convinced her to stay. Seeing how happy her daughter was made the decision all the more easy to have made. She just hoped this happiness would last.


	8. Chapter 8

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 8

A month had gone by since Bella agreed to stay and live in La Push and she had to admit to herself that she was the happiest she had been in thirteen years. Not to say she wasn't happy when Sarah had been born—because she had been very happy—but she hadn't felt such peace in a long time. Sarah was also happy in the environment she was in and loved going out exploring the wooded area of the Reservation and hiking along the trails with either Seth or Jacob.

Bella had debated whether or not to get a job in Forks, Port Angeles, or find work in La Push. She figured that it really didn't matter considering that either way, Alice could look into her future and see her anyway, if she wasn't already doing it. Even so, she applied for a position as a waitress in both Port Angeles and in Forks at the diner her father would frequent again with her no longer being in Forks, though now he was eating more at home with her back. She soon got a job at said diner in Forks and was surprised to how easily she took to the job and enjoyed it. Interacting with the kind customers and her coworkers was some of the best, if not only social interaction she ever had in years. Everyone was friendly and she found herself smiling more than she ever had.

Another thing that had happened in the month of her return was running into various members of the Pack that she hadn't seen yet, and there were many mixed reactions to them seeing her again. Seth and Embry had welcomed her back warmly, but Quil not so much. He in fact wasn't happy to see her and didn't understand why Jacob would welcome her back in his life or even take in her child, even doubting Sarah was Jacob's despite the fact that it was obvious she was. Jared had returned from his honeymoon with Kim and had initially been cold to her, not wanting her around at all for what she had put them through in the past and what could happen in the future because of her. However it was Kim's kindness towards and welcoming of Bella that soon thawed his coldness to her and now they were amicable. Collin and Brady weren't sure how to react to seeing Bella back and around Jacob, but they decided to follow Seth's example and be nice to her, making her feel welcome. Paul however…that hadn't been a meeting she had been prepared for, no matter how much she told herself she had been.

Upon returning from his vacation with Rachel, Paul had completely blown up and cursed viciously at her, calling her all manners of insults with some of them being in the Quileute language. He had demanded that she leave right then and there, only to be punched in the mouth by Jacob. And just like the first time she had seen it, they had both phased and began fighting in the yard. They had only stopped when Rachel had yelled at them and made them both stop. She hadn't said much to Bella or demanded she leave, but she did state that with Billy and Jacob allowing not only her but her daughter to live in their house and in La Push, it was only right that they respect that decision, whether he liked it or not. Bella had been afraid Sarah might have witnessed her father and Paul turning into giant wolves, but the girl had been taking a nap during the time and had missed the whole altercation.

However in the whole month they had been there, Bella had yet to see either Sam or Leah. She had asked Jacob if he would take her to see Emily for a visit, only to be told Emily had gone back to the Makah Reservation six years ago. Bella had been completely shocked to hear news and asked if Sam had gone with her, to which Jacob had shaken his head.

"When Emily left, Sam didn't stop her. He wasn't even at the house when she left to see her off," Jacob had told her. "Sam is still here and hasn't contacted Emily since she left."

That sounded so strange and wrong to Bella. Emily was Sam's Imprint and they seemed to be in love despite everything that had happened between them and around them. So what could possibly make Emily leave and Sam not try to stop her from leaving? What could have possibly held him back from going after his Imprint? Even with those questions in her mind, the answer was clear to her: Leah.

* * *

Bella looked up from the pot of Alfredo sauce she was making to go with the chicken Alfredo pasta she was making to briefly look into the living room. She smiled seeing Sarah putting together a one-hundred piece puzzle with Seth that Billy had gotten her. Looking at Seth she thought about his sister and why she had yet to see her. Wanting to ask him she cleared her throat and said, "Sarah honey, come take over the cooking for me for a little while. I want to talk to Seth for a moment."

Sarah looked up and frowned saying, "But he's helping me with this puzzle."

"You'll have him back all to yourself soon. I just need to speak with him for a minute."

The preteen huffed before nodding and getting up from the floor, walking into the kitchen to take over for her mother while Seth chuckled. Bella ruffled Sarah's dark hair as she walked past her before gesturing to Seth to follow her outside. Seth got up from the floor and followed the brunette out onto the porch, casting a glance back at Sarah for a moment before closing the door behind him. Once the door was closed he turned to Bella and asked, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Bella bit her lip before taking a deep breath and asking, "Seth, is Leah around? I haven't seen her in the month I've been back, and I was just wondering…is she okay? And do you know about Sam? Jake told me a bit, but not much. Do you know anything?"

Seth looked genuinely surprised by the question before a sad expression came over his face. He looked down for a moment before nodding and answering, "Yeah, Leah is still around. Sam is too, but…they haven't been back to La Push in six years."

"Why? What happened?" Bella took notice of how Seth seemed to struggle to answer, his expression beginning to become distraught. Realizing that she was probably pushing him to tell her something he didn't want to think about, she realized how selfish she was being and backtracked. "I'm sorry, Seth. You don't have to tell me, I didn't mean to pressure you to tell me. I should have acknowledged that if Jake wouldn't tell me everything, it was because he was respecting your family's privacy. I'm really sorry."

Shaking his head Seth gave her a small smile and replied, "No, it's alright. You don't know and it's only natural that you'd want to know." Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and let it out. Nodding to himself he opened his eyes and sat down on the porch steps, patting the space next to him for Bella to sit. When she was settled he began to speak.

"After you left with the Cullens, things never really went back to the way they were. Relationships weren't what they used to be between the Pack and tensions rose there between those that didn't care for you and were happy that you were gone, and those that were sad to see you go despite the circumstances. That was mostly Jake and I, though; Embry pretty much stayed neutral the whole time but still supported Jake. When six years passed after your leaving, all of the pent-up emotions that Sam was holding in suddenly began to manifest themselves. I'm sure you know that despite what he put her through, Sam still misses and loves my sister, but he wouldn't hurt Emily. However, his feelings towards Emily began to wane and the Imprint between them began to slip. His still underlying feelings for Leah were coming to the surface and he started to pursue her again, trying to spend time with her and being where she was all the time. You see, Leah believed there was no more reason to keep phasing and being a part of the Pack once the Cullens uprooted and left Forks, so she stopped phasing altogether and left the Pack. We were all sad to see her go—especially Sam—but we weren't going to stop her. Sam tried, but she stood firm and left. I think part of it had to do with getting away from him and stop sharing a mind with him, repeatedly having to see the cause and happiness that was the catalyst to her own unhappiness. Even so, I think she was feeling some sort of relief, if only a little bit. Sam however, his guilt consumed him and his underlying love for Leah grew. He'd show up to our house wanting to see and talk with Leah, and each time she'd turn him away. But Sam persisted, so much so that Emily caught on to what he was doing. She started trying to enforce their Imprint bond but he was fighting it, something he had never tried before."

"I thought he had in the beginning," Bella cut in.

"That's what we all thought, but it turned out that when he Imprinted on our cousin, he broke things off with Leah to pursue Emily. But as you know, Emily's constant rejection and the pressure he was feeling from being the only Shifter at the time caused him to snap and hurt Emily. And then once Emily recovered they were suddenly together, that being a major blow to my sister to see her ex that she was still in love with go for the cousin that was like a sister to her. The betrayal cut deep and hardened her personality. Anyway, when Emily realized that enforcing the Imprint wasn't having the effect it should have had, that's when the problems between them started and they started fighting about Lee, mostly about Sam still being in love with her. I think what made it worse was that Sam didn't deny it. Leah tried to continue to distance herself from Sam and move on with her life, but Sam wouldn't let her go. Then one night Sam came to our house again, asking to see Leah. Mom tried to lie and say Lee wasn't there, but Sam knew she was. Leah knew that he knew she was there and came from her room to confront him, to which she tried to make him go back home to Emily, but he wouldn't leave. What made that night go from bad to worse was when Emily suddenly showed up, having driven over. I had never seen her so angry before and she started yelling at Leah, blaming her for taking Sam away from her."

"She didn't."

"She did, which in my opinion was a mistake to say, especially to my sister. Leah's anger was instant and she started yelling at Emily, pushing her off of our porch and telling her that it was in fact _her_ that had taken Sam from her. She went on to say that the Imprint bond was to supposed to be anything that the Imprintee wanted; a friend, a brother, a lover, anything that they wanted or needed them to be. She asked Emily how she could take the man she loved on as her own lover when she could have easily requested him to be her friend or brother. She wanted to know that if she knew this, why would she hurt her like that. Emily however turned it around on Leah, telling her that it was _her_ fault that Sam Imprinted on her, that if she hadn't been meant to be a part of the Pack and barren, then maybe the Imprint wouldn't have happened. Either way the way she saw it, she had Sam now and nothing was going to change that. Sam tried to reprimand Emily, but Leah slapped her instead, knocking her down to the ground. She then pushed Sam away from the house and kept pushing him further away, yelling at him to go away and leave her alone. And then…" A pained expression came over Seth's face. "…then Emily ran Leah over with her truck."

Bella gasped in horror, throwing her hands over her mouth as she stared at the younger man, his eyes welling with tears. Seth sniffed and wiped his tears before continuing.

"Emily had gotten up from the ground and had rushed to get to her truck, mom and I the only ones seeing her do it. We thought that maybe she was leaving to go back home, having had enough of the drama for the night, but we were so wrong. Instead of leaving she bore down on the gas and rammed right into Leah. She hit Sam too, but Leah took the brunt of it."

"B-But she was okay, right? With her being a Shifter, she would have been fine right?"

Seth shook his head and looked down in his lap. "Leah had stopped phasing, and as a result her body was starting to revert back to what it had once been. This meant that her body wouldn't be able to heal quickly on its own like before. Leah was completely battered by the impact and was knocked unconscious instantly. Sam recovered quicker, but once he saw the state Leah was in…I don't think I've ever seen him so distraught before. He was crying and cradling Leah, begging her to wake up. Mom had run over as well while telling me to get the car so we could get Leah to the hospital. Right before I went to get the car, Emily had leant out of the window of the truck and demanded Sam go back home with her. He wouldn't move though, and she quickly left. We got Leah to the hospital and they quickly took her to surgery. When she came out she and was moved to the ICU, the doctor told us that…that Leah was in a coma but was sure she would wake up soon. That was six years ago they said that."

Chocolate brown eyes widened in shock. "So you mean…?"

"Yeah, Leah is still in her coma. Sam left the Pack, got a job and moved to Forks to be closer to her and visits her every day, refusing to leave her side for long. He blames himself for her being in that position in the first place and has promised that the moment she woke up, he wouldn't leave her side again and would always be there for her no matter what. Two years ago the doctor believed that Leah wouldn't ever wake up again and asked us if we wanted to take her off of life support, but mom refused."

"And…and what about Emily?"

Seth shrugged and said, "I don't know. I'm sure Jake told you that she went back home to the Makah Res, but we don't know what happened to her after that." More tears welled up in his eyes.

Bella was silent for a moment before gently taking Seth's hand in her own and giving it a gently, supportive squeeze. Giving him a small smile, she said softly, "It'll be okay. Leah will wake up soon, I just know it. If I remembered anything about her, you were the most important thing to her and she won't leave you by yourself for long. Just keep hope, okay?"

Seth smiled at the brunette and gave her hand a squeeze in return before saying softly, "I always do."

The two of them sat together in silence, Seth's tears finally falling over onto his cheeks. He laid his head over on Bella's shoulder and cried silently, Bella laying her own head against his to comfort him. She didn't have any siblings, but she could only imagine the pain she'd be in if Sarah or Charlie or Renee was in the position Leah was in, all the while trying to remain optimistic and put on a façade of being fine. Just the thought of it brought tears to her eyes and she closed them to keep them at bay, though one slipped out.

That was how Jacob found them when he pulled up in his car a few minutes later. He got out of his car and walked over to them, a concerned expression on his face. Before he could ask anything, Bella opened her eyes and looked at him, her eyes holding so much sadness. His attention was taken from the brunette and his brother when the front door opened and Sarah stepped out onto the porch.

"Dinner is done and ready to be served," Sarah said with a smile, only for it to slowly go away at the scene before her. Frowning in concern at the man that had become her best friend, she took a step forward and asked, "Sethy, what's the matter?" She then looked at her mother. "Mom?"

Seth wiped his face free of his tears and stood up from the porch, walking over to Sarah and giving her a reassure smile. He ruffled her hair and said, "I'm okay Sarah, I promise."

Sarah stared up at him and looked into his eyes, immediately seeing that he was only telling a half truth. She wanted him to be honest with her, but she also felt it wasn't something that was her place, or rather something Seth didn't want to share with her just yet. If that was the case, then she could wait for him to tell her, but only if he wanted to. Wanting to give Seth some form of comfort she wrapped her arms around Seth's middle, hugging him close and placing her head just below his chest from where he towered over her. Seth smiled and returned her hug before allowing her to take his hand and lead him back inside, chuckling when she told him that he had better leave enough food for her parents, especially Jacob.

When they were back inside Jacob took Seth's place beside of Bella and said softly, "I take it Seth told you about what's really going on with Sam and Leah."

Nodding Bella whispered, "It's so sad. Imprinting ruined their lives and practically ended in tragedy."

Jacob said nothing in response, his own thought process believing the same thing. Imprinting did in fact ruin Sam, Leah, and Emily's lives, and he believed that it was part of the reason it ruined his thirteen years ago. Bella was afraid of Imprinting and what it entailed, and he knew that she had been scared he would Imprint one day and forget about her. However, he knew that he would never Imprint and still to this day hadn't done it. He was positive that Bella was meant for him, but as long as she continued to run away from him, he wouldn't ever be able to show her that it was true. Even with them having a daughter together she was still running away, but he hoped over time she would begin to open up to him and hopefully give him a chance. Until then, he would wait.

Bella wiped her tear and looked at Jacob before saying, "I want to go see Leah."

Jacob blinked in surprise before asking, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"What about Sarah? Do you want to bring her along?"

"No, not yet. I don't want to expose her to a situation like that. She's only twelve after all, and she's never seen someone in a coma before."

"Maybe, but she's getting old enough to know what really happens. I know you and the Cullens kept her pretty sheltered, but you can't tell me she didn't at least question the vamp doc a bit about what happens in a hospital setting."

As a matter of fact Sarah had asked Carlisle a few times, but he never told her anything completely concrete. His reasoning was that he wanted her to keep her innocence for as long as she could, and Bella was grateful for that. Thinking on it a bit Bella finally sighed and said, "Maybe the next time we go we'll take her to meet Leah. I think she'd like to meet Seth's sister, even if she can't speak back to her."

Jacob nodded and kissed Bella's temple before standing and heading inside, leaving Bella sitting wide-eyed staring after him. Her face was bright pink in a blush, her hear pounding in her chest like it hadn't in years, and her temple tingling from where Jacob's lips had pressed against it. His small kiss had been surprising, yet not unwelcome. Bella's mind suddenly supplied her with memories, memories she had shared with Jacob and how he had made her feel years ago. And furthermore, she was surprised that she seemed to still feel those same emotions now years later.

Shaking her head Bella slapped the sides of her face lightly before whispering, "No Bella, no. We're not going back down that road. We're not going to slip."

Standing up Bella took a deep breath before entering the house, going to join Sarah, Jacob, and Seth for dinner, making a mental note to set some aside for Billy when he returned. She also decided as she sat down with a plate of food that she would try and forget Jacob's kiss to her temple and how it made her feel, though she doubted the fast beating of her heart would go away whenever she thought about it.


	9. Chapter 9

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 9

Sarah crept out of the house early the next morning, wearing her light jacket to keep warm from the crisp morning air. Silently closing the door, she crept off the porch before taking off in a run for the woods, her tennis shoes lightly pounding the dew-covered grass. She ran into woods and kept running for about two minutes before slowing to a stop she breathed some air into her lungs for a moment before looking around and listening intently to the sounds of nature. A smile slipped onto her face at hearing the squirrels chitter to each other and the birds sing as the wind rustled the leaves of the trees above her head.

She always felt the most at peace when she was out in nature, like she was one with it. She at first didn't understand how that could be considering her mother seemed to never want to be outside and her husband's family didn't venture outside at all. But now she realized she was a nature child because her father Jacob was one. It was like they were allergic to being outside or the sun or something. She loved feeling the sun on her skin. If she didn't know any better, she'd say that the Cullen family were vampires considering how they never stepped outside when it was sunny, even going as far as to shut the curtains when the sun was out. But vampires didn't exist, and if they did, she believed they'd be the classic Dracula kind of vampire. Maybe the Cullens were just allergic to sunlight and broke out and burned badly.

Hearing some shuffling Sarah turned her head towards the sound and began walking towards it. As she did she whistled, almost like she was calling for a dog. In a way she was, hoping the giant wolf she had encountered her first night in La Push would show up. She had wanted to run into the large, gentle creature again but hadn't seen it since. When she got no response she whistled again, this time longer. After a while she heard the shuffling again and before she knew it, a giant wolf was emerging from the morning shadows. However, it wasn't the sandy colored wolf she had first seen. The wolf standing before her was much larger than the previous one had been, and its fur was a beautiful russet color. He should have been intimidating and should have scared her, yet Sarah felt nothing but a sense of ease and calm as she stared at its majestic figure.

The wolf stood still and stared at her, the wind rustling through its fur. Sarah felt an overwhelming want to be close to it. Slowly she walked towards the wolf and held out her hand, all the while being cautious in case its demeanor changed and tried to snap at her. Even so, she felt as if the big creature wouldn't hurt her. It was looking at her almost as if it knew who she was. Stopping in front of it she gently placed her hand on the space between its large eyes, marveling at how it allowed her to do so and even closed its eyes in contentment.

A soft giggle escaped her mouth as she buried both hands in its fur. Boldly she wrapped her arms around its large neck as best as she could and cuddled into the large body and soft fur. The wolf let out a purring sound before turning its head and licking her face, the action causing Sarah to squeal in surprise before laughing. The wolf let out a barking sound that sounded like laughter as well, making the preteen laugh harder. Pulling away she looked into the russet wolf's large eyes and couldn't help but find warmth and familiarity in them. It was shocking to see the familiar eyes, but she couldn't think of a reason as to why they would be familiar to her.

"You feel familiar to me," Sarah said softly. "Like I know you from somewhere, but I can't think of where. But your eyes are definitely familiar to me, and they're big and pretty too."

The wolf nuzzled her before licking her once more. She giggled and hugged the large wolf once again, loving how close she was able to be with it. A soft bark caught her attention and she turned to see the sandy wolf she had befriended coming towards them. She grinned brightly and ran to it, hugging it as well and smiled brighter as it nuzzled her as well. She was about to speak to the wolf when she heard here mother's voice call her name being carried on the wind.

"Sarah! Sarah, come on! It's time for breakfast!" Bella's voice called.

Sarah sighed and hugged the sandy wolf once more before moving to hug the russet one. The russet wolf lifted a paw and seemingly hugged her in return before backing up and gently nudging her with its snout. Sarah smiled and nodded before waving 'goodbye' to the creatures and running back towards home.

* * *

Jacob watched his daughter run away from him and head back to his home. It seemed almost surreal to him that his daughter saw him in his wolf form, and he couldn't help but be surprised that she seemed to recognize something about him that was familiar to her. Granted she didn't understand why, but she had nonetheless. It was almost like when Bella had first seen him in this form, having been in awe just like she had been, only without the present fear.

Turning to Seth he gave him a pointed look and said through their mind connection, _"We're going to have to let Sarah know soon."_

 _"I thought you didn't want that just yet,"_ Seth said in confusion.

 _"I don't, but if I don't tell her soon, someone else will."_

 _"That's true. Are you going to tell her that I Imprinted on her?"_

 _"I think you should do that, but only after the concept is explained to her. But one step at a time. First, we'll tell her eventually about the spirit wolves."_

 _"Are you going to ask Billy if you can?"_

Jacob was silent for a moment before answering, _"I'm going to ask Bella. But in doing so, I'm going to have to reveal that the Cullens are leeches to Sarah, and then Bella is going to have to explain her side and…I don't think I can put them both through that just yet, especially when Bella seems to want to just forget right now. Her life is finally getting back on track and I don't want to ruin the peace she has."_

Seth nodded in understanding. _"Hopefully they won't come back like they did the first time."_

 _"Don't jinx it, Seth. Alright, we're done for now. Go home and get some rest."_

Seth nodded and took off in a light trot to head to his own home while Jacob did the same towards his own home. Reaching the edge of the woods, he phased back to human and put his pants and shirt back on before walking to his house. He didn't know if Sarah had told Bella about her encounter with him, but he couldn't say he was upset about it. In fact, he had enjoyed it and it was obvious she was comfortable and not scared at all, just like her mother had been.

* * *

Later that day Bella was ready to go and visit Leah in the hospital. She knew there was a chance that Sam would be there and probably wouldn't take to well to her sudden presence back in Forks, but she didn't care. She was going to be there to see Leah, not Sam. She was waiting for Jacob to return as he was gone dropping Sarah off at Call's house. The moment she found out she was going to be spending time with Angela, Sarah had been ecstatic about it. She had wanted another chance to ask Angela about her book and what inspired her to write it, as well as the new book she was writing. Bella only hoped Angela wouldn't spill any secrets to Sarah about the origin story of her book. She didn't know what she would do if her friend told her daughter that her book was an inspiration based on the complete fuck-up that was her and her life. As far as she was concerned at the moment though, the best thing that had come out of all of the crap she had put herself and others through was Sarah, and she wouldn't give her up for anything.

The sound of a car pulling up outside the house caught her attention and Bella walked out of the house, saying 'bye' to Billy who was busy watching a soap opera that he had recently become invested in. Stepping off the porch, Bella got into the car where Jacob was waiting and buckled herself in. Jacob looked at Bella and asked, "Ready?"

"Yeah," Bella answered.

Jacob nodded and pulled away from the house, heading back down the road out of La Push towards Forks. Along the way Jacob engaged Bella in small conversation, just enough to get her mind off her obvious nervousness. Bella was getting better at masking her anxiousness, but it was still obvious to him. As he drove he couldn't help but smile as Bella admitted that she wanted to take her hobby in cooking and go to culinary school, or at least enter a program where she could get credentials and own her own little eatery. Bella sounded so cute talking about her ambition and dream, but his heart clenched when she admitted she didn't think she could do it.

"Bells, you can do anything you want and dream of doing. And no matter what Sarah and I will support you. If you want to become a chef, then you go become a chef," Jacob told her encouragingly. He smiled at Bella's blush and adorable smile, her face looking smooth and young rather than the older face she seemed to sport from constant stress and worry over the years. He wanted to badly to help ease her stress and worry away, more than it was going away now.

He gave her a playful smile before saying, "Besides, you've got plenty of taste testers to try out your food."

Bella raised an eyebrow as she looked at Jacob and said, "You mean you and Seth are going to eat everything I cook, regardless of what you think of it. I guarantee the only person to genuinely tell me what they think will be Sarah, Billy, and Charlie."

Jacob placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "You wound me, Bella. You really think I would lie about your cooking?"

"Yes." She didn't mean it and she knew Jacob knew it too, especially when he barked out a laugh. His laughter was still as infectious as it had been thirteen years ago, and she found herself laughing with him.

The two of them were so caught up in laughing and talking that Bella was surprised when Jacob parked the car and turned it off. Looking out the window Bella saw that they were at the hospital in the parking lot. As they got out of the car Bella took a deep breath before walking with Jacob from the parking lot into the hospital. As they stepped inside the hospital, the smell of antiseptic hit Bella's nose, the sterile smell burning her nose and bringing back memories of when she herself had been in the hospital for accidents, many of which happened here in Forks.

Walking up to the front desk Bella got the attention of the woman behind the desk and said, "Excuse me, we're here to visit Leah Clearwater."

The woman looked at her before looking behind her towards Jacob. Recognizing the tall, good-looking man she nodded and said, "Just follow your friend, he knows where to go."

"Thank you," Jacob said before leading Bella away from the desk and over towards the elevator, his hand resting gently on her lower back.

Bella blushed feeling of his warm hand on her back, not having expected him to place his hand there. She knew it was probably an unconscious move on his part and probably didn't mean anything by it, but he had no idea how much he was making her heart race from doing so. She didn't want to get caught up in her feelings for Jacob again, but he was having a major effect on her, whether he knew it or not. She had been trying to convince herself that she wasn't falling back into her old feelings for Jacob but seeing him every day again and seeing him interact with and love Sarah made her heart swell with happiness and she couldn't help but think what life would be like for them like a real family. But she couldn't do that, not when she was still technically married to Edward.

The two of them stepped into the elevator and rode it up to the fourth floor of the hospital, Bella watching the numbers change until the elevator stopped on the desired floor. They stepped out onto the floor and walked along the corridors, many nurses smiling and greeting Jacob a bit too flirtatiously for Bella's liking. She found herself scowling at the thirsty bimbos as a feeling of jealousy settled in her chest, a feeling she rarely ever experienced. It wasn't like any of those women were Jacob's type anyway. He wouldn't even give them a chance to date him or the time of day. At least she didn't think he would…she hoped he wouldn't.

 _What am I thinking?_ Bella thought to herself shaking her head. _It's not like Jacob is mine and we're together. He can see and date any woman he wants._ Even so, she couldn't help but feel jealous at the thought of him doing just that.

Jacob cut a corner and finally stopped in front of a door, the name on the sign outside the door reading _Clearwater, Leah._ He sniffed the air before determining the smell he was smelling was his former Pack brother and Alpha. Looking at Bella he said, "Sam is here, just to give you a heads up. Are you ready?"

Bella looked at him before nodding, biting her lip as she did so. Jacob nodded and knocked on the door before opening it, stepping inside and lightly beckoning for Bella to follow. Bella took a deep breath before following him inside the hospital room, steeling herself to see Sam and Leah for the first time in thirteen years.


	10. Chapter 10

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 10

Sam looked up from where he was seated next to the hospital bed that Leah lay upon when the room door opened. He smiled softly at seeing that it was Jacob that was coming to visit, but the smile soon fell away upon seeing who followed him into the room. What in the world was Bella Swan—no Cullen—doing here? Why was she back in Forks, and with Jacob? Masking his surprise, he greeted, "Jacob, hi. Bella, welcome back, I guess."

Bella gave Sam a small, nervous smile in greeting before turning to look at the figure lying still in the hospital bed. She couldn't believe that she was seeing Leah again. The woman was as beautiful as she remembered her and her hair longer too, but she also looked so fragile. Her tan skin now looked pale, she was thinner than she had ever seen her, and she seemed to have dark circles under her closed eyes. It was obvious Leah seemed to be in the stages of withering away and probably wouldn't even consider herself beautiful. But looking at how Sam was looking at Leah, it was obvious that he still believed her to be beautiful in her vegetative state and that he loved her unconditionally.

Jacob looked at Leah as well before asking, "Anything new?"

Sam shook his head and said, "No, nothing new. Her brain scans are fine, but the doctor said it's just a matter of waiting for her to wake up."

"But that's good, right?"

"Yeah, but he also told me to seriously consider pulling the plug on Leah. I can't do that, though; I can't give up on her."

Bella's heart clenched at Sam's words, hearing how genuine and heartfelt they were. He really was in love with Leah, and had never stopped loving her, even during his time with Emily. She still couldn't believe that Emily had been crazy enough to run her cousin over and put her in this state to keep Sam. But all it did was drive him back to Leah completely. She supposed love was as harmful as it was true.

Moving to stand next to Leah and observe her still face, the oxygen tube sticking out of her mouth to help her breathe, she felt tears fill her eyes. Leah wasn't supposed to be here in this hospital bed. She was supposed to be walking around full of life and being her usual moody self. She wanted to see her walking around and talking, not lying here letting the years pass by and her family worrying. Bella could only imagine how Sue was feeling with her daughter here. If it was Sarah, Bella didn't think her heart could take it. Sarah was the one good thing to happen to her in her sorry life and if something happened to her, she wouldn't be able to stand it. It was the whole reason she had stayed with Edward, but now she knew it was best she stay in Forks with Jacob and the others. Sarah was more protected here than she ever had been in Edward's presence.

Wiping her forming tears away Bella placed a hesitant hand on Leah's shoulder before whispering, "You're going to pull through, Leah; I just know it."

Jacob and Sam didn't say anything as they watched the brunette, both of them knowing this was a shock to her. The last she had seen of the former female Shifter, she had been alive and well. Now, though alive, she was lying still and had been for six years. Like Bella, they believed Leah would pull through and wake up out of her coma. Leah was stronger than she let herself be known to be, and they knew she was strong enough to wake up from her coma.

Bella and Jacob stayed a little longer and spoke with Sam, listening to him speak about how his job was going as—surprisingly—a middle school gym teacher. Bella thought the position fit him nicely, though she had to admit to herself she couldn't see Sam working with children. After a while Jacob and Bella made their leave, telling Sam they would come back another time. As they left the hospital Bella said softly, "It's so sad seeing Leah like that."

"Yeah, it is," Jacob agreed. "But I'm sure she's going to wake up soon."

"I hope so. She has Sue, Seth, and Sam waiting for her to open her eyes again. And…and I'd like for her to meet Sarah."

Wrapping an arm around her, Jacob pulled Bella into his side held her saying, "She will."

Bella smiled and looked up at Jacob, looking into his eyes to find the love he still carried for her being reflected in them. Looking down Bella tried to will away the sudden blush that had formed on her face and suggested they get back to La Push. Jacob nodded and walked with Bella to the elevator, smirking internally at the blush that had appeared on her face. He was still affected Bella the way she was still affecting him. But that didn't mean that she might still love him, though he hoped that she did. Right before they reached the elevators, a young nurse stepped up to them, though her attention was solely on Jacob. Bella could practically see the hearts in her eyes as she set her mouth in a flirtatious smile.

"Hey Jacob," the nurse said batting her lashes.

"Um, hello," Jacob said slowly.

The nurse giggled before saying, "You know, I was thinking that we'd look great together and was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime."

Jacob was a bit startled by the sudden invitation and went to decline politely. However, before he could Bella cut in and said, "He's busy."

Bella pursed her lips as she looked the nurse square in her face, the nurse scowling in return. Jutting her hip out the nurse said, "I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to Jacob."

"Maybe, but I'm talking to you. And _you_ should be working rather than flirting with the hospital guests. Not to mention the drastic amounts of makeup you're wearing is a health hazard in a hospital setting."

"Excuse me?"

"Did I stutter, Miss Thing? And you're just trying to buy yourself some time for a comeback. Don't worry, I'll wait."

Jacob wasn't sure what to do while watching the face off between the two women. Not only him, but their little back and forth had caught the attention of a few others. Bella stared at the nurse with an unwavering gaze, silently daring her to say or do more. She didn't like this broad and knew for a fact that Jacob would never go for the likes of her. The nurse glared at Bella for a while longer before huffing and reaching into her shirt and pulling a small piece of paper with her number on it out of her bra. She handed it to Jacob with another flirtatious smile.

"Call me when you drop this chick and want to have a good time," the nurse said.

Bella snatched the paper from Jacob's hand and ripped it to shreds before throwing it at the nurse's feet, irritation the most present emotion on her face. "He's not going to call you, you desperate hoe! What would he want with someone like you that wears the amount of makeup a clown wears? Not to mention he has a kid that I'm _sure_ you don't want anything to do with. So why don't you go back to work before I report you for negligence of your job?" Bella grabbed Jacob's hand and marched to the elevator. "Let's go see our daughter, Jake. I'm done talking to insignificant people."

Jacob stared at the brunette in awe and disbelief as he allowed Bella to pull him onto the elevator, completely ignoring the shocked bystanders and completely offended nurse. When the elevator doors and began to descend Jacob said, "Bells?"

She didn't respond right off before saying softly, "I should have stayed out of that, I'm sorry."

Bella was avoiding eye contact with him—the embarrassment about what she had done catching up with her—and Jacob thought that was fine. She needed time to completely process the show she had just put on. But that didn't explain why she would have completely objected to him being asked out on a date, considering she herself made it known she had no intention of rekindling what they once had. Deciding to press the issue he asked, "Why didn't you? Would it have been so bad if I had said 'yes' and accepted her number?"

"Jake, I don't want to talk about it."

"Tell me why, Bella."

"No."

"Bella-"

The elevator bell chimed and the doors opened, Bella hurrying out of it and out of the hospital. Jacob's long legs overpowered her and he caught up with and stopped her, grabbing her arm to stop her. He expected Bella to resist his hold, but she didn't. Stepping in front of her he said, "Bella, tell me what made you do that."

Looking to the side Bella bit her lower lip as she struggled to answer. She didn't want to tell Jacob that it had happened because she had suddenly gotten jealous; it would make her seem pathetic. And she knew she had no right to be jealous when she was keeping Jacob at arm's length, but she couldn't help it. Not to mention her heart was pounding in her chest. Did this…was she…no. She couldn't be falling for Jacob again, could she?

Before Bella could ponder the thought more, her new cell phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket, seeing that it was Sarah calling. Answering it she held the device to her ear and said, "Hey sweetie."

 _"Hey mom,"_ Sarah greeted in return. _"Are you and daddy on you guys' way back to La Push?"_

"Yes, we're on our way back. Have you been good? You're not giving Angela and Embry a hard time, are you?"

 _"No mom. Embry took me on a ride with his bike. He even let me ride it by myself."_

"He what? Embry did what?"

 _"Nothing! See you when you get here!"_

Sarah quickly ended the call, causing Bella to look at her cell phone with a look that could only be described as motherly annoyance. A snicker caught her attention and she glared at Jacob as he chuckled to himself, having heard what his daughter said. Walking over to Jacob's car she said, "She gets it from your side of the family."

They climbed into Jacob's car and buckled up as Jacob laughed. Starting the car he said, "That's her adventurous side. The reckless side comes from you."

Bella sighed and looked out of the window, ignoring Jacob's continued laughing. She knew he was just being playful with calling her reckless, but it was also true and her recklessness had caused a lot of heartache that she didn't want to remember. Leaning her head back against the head rest, Bella closed her to rest them and essentially rest her mind from the events of the day.

A warm hand took hold of hers causing Bella to look down to see Jacob was holding it. Looking at him she saw him looking at her with a soft look in his eyes. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he said, "I still want to talk about what happened, but I'll wait until you're ready."

The brunette stared at Jacob as he pulled out of the parking lot of the hospital and headed towards La Push. She was quiet for ten minutes before saying softly, "I got jealous."

Jacob smiled at the admission but didn't say anything in return. Instead he continued to hold Bella's hand all the way back to La Push. As they crossed over the border onto the Reservation Jacob said, "Thanks Bells."

"For what?" Bella asked in confusion.

"For saving me from being asked out. I don't want to date right now, not unless it's you."

Bella gasped softly and her face burned red before she bent her head to hide behind her hair. Why did Jacob have to say that? It had sent her heart racing in her chest again. She needed to talk to someone about this. She needed some advice. And who better to give it than Angela? As they drove to the Call house, Bella prepared herself to talk with her friend. If anyone could give her real, honest advice, it was Angela.


	11. Chapter 11

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 11

Angela hummed to herself as she sat at her laptop, typing away at her new book. She stopped typing momentarily when she heard a soft giggle from behind her. A smile appeared on her face and she went back to typing, smiling more at the giggling and how it seemed to be getting closer. She finished typing the paragraph she was writing. Before hitting the 'save' button and turning around, coming face to face with Sarah with a feather duster.

"Trying to sneak up on me to tickle me, huh?" Angela asked teasingly, raising an eyebrow as Sarah's less than guilty expression.

Sarah giggled and said, "I was, but you caught me before I could."

"I have a lot of experience in catching sneaking people. Take Embry for example. He moves _very_ light on his feet, yet I can always catch him whenever he's either trying to sneak up on me, or sneak into the house late at night."

"Why would he have to come home late at night?"

Angela paused in her answer, careful not to spill that it was because her husband was a wolf Shifter and would sometimes patrol at night. Instead she said, "Because he hangs out with his friends and forgets to come home."

"So daddy gets Embry in trouble?"

"Sometimes, yes."

Sarah giggled before reading the paragraph the woman had written. Nodding she said, "This looks good so far. I can't wait to read it when it's published."

Angela grinned and blushed lightly before saying, "It'll have to be edited and such before it can be published. But I promise that when I'm done, you can have the raw, unedited book, as well as an autographed published hardcover from me."

An excited gasp left Sarah's throat as she stared up at Angela like she was a goddess. She let out a happy cheer before hugging the bespectacled woman, thanking her immensely as she did. That was how Embry found them as he stopped by his wife's office. He smiled at the sight, thinking this will be Angela and their own child in a few years after she had their baby. She was only two months along, but he was already excited to be a father.

A knock on the door caught his attention and he went to answer it. Opening the door, he saw that it was Jacob and Bella. Greeting them, he invited them inside and called Angela to let her know Jacob and Bella were there. Sarah ran in from Angela's office and hugged her parents, animatedly telling them about all of the fun she had with the Calls. Jacob laughed as he listened, Bella smiling as she listened to her daughter talk excitedly about the time she had while she and Jacob had been at the hospital visiting Leah. Remembering the scene of jealousy she had put on at the hospital, Bella's smile slipped a bit and it did not go unnoticed by Angela, her having walked into the living room not too long ago.

Seeming to know something was wrong with her friend, Angela said, "Bella, come take a walk with me."

Bella looked at the tall woman in shock at first before nodding and telling Jacob and Sarah that she would be back soon. As the two women left the house, Embry turned to Jacob and asked, "Is everything alright?"

Jacob was silent for a moment before finally saying, "I think Bella is fighting to stay in denial that she wants me."

"But she already loves you. I don't see why she wouldn't want you, daddy," Sarah butt in, a slightly confused expression on her face.

Smiling softly, Jacob ruffled his daughter's hair before saying, "I know she still loves me, but I want it to be her decision to be with me, not because we think she should. She must want me without being pressured or manipulated to. I don't want to force her or make her think she wants to be with me like her leech."

Sarah frowned. "Her leech? What does that mean?"

Embry coughed briefly, giving his Packmate a knowing look to cover his slipup. Realizing his mistake, Jacob thought quickly and said, "It's what we would call Cullen. We called him 'leech' because…well…"

"Because he seemed to always be stuck to mom's side? He still does it now or did while we lived in Colorado."

"Yeah, that's it. That's why we called him 'leech'."

"Smooth," Embry said, rolling his eyes.

Jacob shot his friend a glare before turning back to Sarah. The preteen was looking up at him with a strange look before shrugging to herself. She then asked if they could poker, a skill the blonde leech (Rosalie, or Aunt Rosie as Sarah called her) had taught his child. Embry and Jacob gave each other amused looks before agreeing, Embry going to find his deck of cards while Jacob and Sarah settled at the coffee table in the living room. While waiting, Sarah looked at her father and asked, "Daddy, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Sarah," Jacob replied.

"It's obvious you and mom still love each other. If she loved you back then, and she still loves you now, then how come she chose her husband over you?

Jacob looked into Sarah's chocolate brown eyes brimming with innocent curiosity. It was so unfair that she was in the middle of all the mess that was his and Bella's lives. And he wanted so much to tell her the entire truth that Bella wouldn't, but he also wasn't sure if she was ready to not only hear but accept it. He didn't want any supernatural information to corrupt her and mess up her life like it had his and Bella's. But concerning her question, he decided to tell her part of the truth.

"She chose Cullen because she said that even though she loved me, she just didn't love me enough," Jacob answered, the familiar pain about the situation settling in his chest.

Sarah frowned and said, "But you can't be in love with two people at once. You're either in love with one or the other, not both. It's impossible and not fair to either party. And all it does is hurt the person that is supposedly in love with both parties in the end."

It amazed Jacob how smart his daughter was and how quickly she saw the flaw in the situation faster than he or Bella had seen it. Smiling softly yet sadly, Jacob said, "I wish we would have known that thirteen years ago."

"It's not your fault. If anything—and I hate to say this—the fault falls on mom." Sarah then lowered her voice. "You won't tell her I said that, will you?"

Jacob chuckled softly. "No, I won't. Besides, I think your mom already knows."

Embry took that moment to walk back in with his deck of cards, sitting at the coffee table with his friend and daughter. He had heard everything that had been said but decided to act like he didn't hear a thing. He glanced at Jacob who was looking at him, shaking his head to let him know he wouldn't say anything or share the conversation exchanged between him and Sarah. Jacob nodded at him gratefully before he began to divvy up the cards.

* * *

Angela walked a ways away from her home, Bella following behind her before finally stopping. Turning to face the brunette she asked, "What's troubling you, Bella?"

Bella wasn't surprised Angela knew something was wrong with her. She had always been able to pick up on things concerning her even back in high school, more so than Jessica Stanley. Sighing, Bella answered, "Angela, I'm conflicted."

"About what?"

"My feelings for Jacob. I think…I think I may be…falling for him again."

Angela titled her head slightly. "And that's a bad thing?"

"I guess not, but I don't want to be. Angela, I've made so many bad decisions in the past and hurt so many people. I can't bear to hurt Jacob again."

"How do you know you will hurt him again?"

"Because I always end up hurting someone! Even if I don't mean to!" Frustrated tears began to prick at her eyes. "I want Jacob to be happy, but he won't be happy with me; I just know it."

"Bella, I think you're just scared. These feelings of yours have been repressed for a while, only letting them surface from time to time. I imagine it was because of Edward, but you have. But all of these personal issues of yours stem from how you handled, or failed to handle, events back when we were teenagers concerning Edward, Jacob, and yourself. Personally, I believe you chose Edward not because of a promise or that you were as in love with him as you thought, but because he was your safe choice."

Bella stared at Angela in confusion. "What do you mean my 'safe choice'?"

"I mean that you chose Edward so you wouldn't have to deal with and face anymore heartache. But in doing so, you just caused yourself more. Understand that I'm not saying this to be mean, I'm just making a point."

Bella knew she was right, absolutely right. It was just sad that she had to realize this years later. But perhaps it was because she was too close to the situation, rather than looking at it from an outside perspective like Angela. Yes, Angela was involved now being married to Embry, but she still looked at it from the outside rather than from the inside like she and everyone else involved. Choosing Edward had been a safe choice, but not the right choice like she had originally thought. She had thought it was right to choose Edward because she thought she was irrevocably in love with him, was going to be a vampire as she had promised the Volturi and like she had wanted, and she would be away from Jacob and wouldn't hurt him anymore. But really, she chose Edward to run away from Jacob, to run away from Imprinting, something she was afraid of Jacob doing. Sure, Jacob wasn't Imprinted to anyone now after all these years, but the fear that he would was still present.

"But I think that is only part of the reason you want to talk to me. I might have gone a bit more in depth about it," Angela said, giving the brunette an apologetic smile for speaking more on the subject than was probably necessary at the moment.

Bella took a deep breath before speaking again. "Jacob and I went to the hospital to visit Leah and see if there was any progress of her condition. On our way out, a nurse stopped us to flirt with Jacob and ask him out. She even gave him her number, but I ripped it up in a display of jealousy and caused a scene. After that, Jacob pretty much made it plain to me that he not only still has feelings for me, but that I'm the only one he'd want to date. And…and it made my heart race. It was like…like when we were teenagers."

Angela gave Bella a smile. "You still love him, Bella. Whether you want to admit it or not, whether you want it to be true or not, you're still in love with him. You should really, seriously give him a chance. Give Jacob and yourself the chance that you didn't give yourselves thirteen years ago. And if you really open up your heart this time and be true to yourself in how you feel, I promise you won't regret it."

"But what about…Imprinting?" Bella couldn't help but hesitate in even agreeing with her friend's words. She couldn't knowing Imprinting was still a thing that could hang over their heads.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much."

"Why not?"

The bespectacled woman smiled at Bella. "Because if you two weren't meant to be, Sarah wouldn't exist. I'm not Embry's Imprint by any means. He didn't Imprint on me either, but we still gave ourselves a chance. And now look at us; we're married and expecting a baby of our own. If things weren't meant to be the way they are now, then we wouldn't be happy like we are now. Therefore, Imprinting be damned."

Bella was stunned at the accuracy of Angela's words. She wouldn't have gotten pregnant with Jacob's child and had Sarah if they weren't meant to be. And Angela had basically admitted that Embry had never Imprinted on her, but she and him were happily married and having a baby of their own. Maybe Angela was right, maybe she just needed to give her and Jacob the chance she couldn't give before. Hugging her tall friend closely Bella whispered, "Thank you, Ang. You have no idea how much your words mean to me right now."

"You're welcome, Bella." She then pulled away and they headed back to her home. "Of course, I'd still take some time to think, but I really believe you have nothing to wait for now. If anything, you should go for it and rekindle what you two once had, what's meant to be."

"I think I will."

The two women soon made it back to the Call home and walked inside, spotting Embry, Jacob, and Sarah in an intense round of poker that the men seemed to be failing miserably. A few turns later, Embry put his cards down and said, "Four of a kind."

Jacob chuckled and showed his cards saying, "Straight flush. Read 'em and weep."

"Uh, _you_ read 'em and weep, daddy," Sarah said with a smirk before showing her cards. "Royal flush."

Embry and Jacob stared at the twelve year old astonished as Sarah gathered the stack of money that was in the middle of the table. Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head fondly, Angela giggling herself before announcing that they were welcome to stay for dinner. Jacob and Bella thanked her, but politely declined the invitation knowing they had to get home to make their own dinner and have a plate ready for Billy. The five of them said their 'goodbyes' before Jacob, Bella, and Sarah left the house and climbed into Jacob's car, soon heading back to the Black home.

As they drove, Sarah looked at her mother before asking, "Mom, when are you and daddy going to go on a date? You know, get together like you should have been before?"

Bella turned to look wide-eyed at her daughter before turning to face Jacob. Jacob had a light blush on his face, but otherwise showed no other sign of surprise or embarrassment from their daughter's blunt question. Deciding Angela was right in that she needed to take a chance, Bella smiled and answered, "Hopefully this weekend, so long as your father isn't busy."

Jacob's eyes widened almost comically before he slammed on breaks and parked the car. Turning to face the brunette, he asked, "Really? You mean it, Bells?"

"Yes, so long as you want to."

"I definitely do."

Sarah looked back and forth between her parents, taking note of how her father's eyes sparkled and were full of love as he gazed at her mother. Her mother, though seemingly shy, seemed to be happy about the answer her father had given her. Grinning she giggled to herself, happy that her parents were going on a date soon. If all went well, they would soon be a family again, and she wouldn't have to go back to Colorado to her mother's husband's family.


	12. Chapter 12

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 12

Bella was freaking out. The weekend had come upon her quickly and today was the day that she and Jacob would be going on their first date, their first date _ever_. Not only was she freaking out about that, she was also freaking out over the fact that she had absolutely nothing to wear. She was sure Jacob wouldn't care if she wore her usual jeans and t-shirt, but she wanted to look nice for their date. Despite her nerves though, she couldn't help but feel excited somewhat. Sarah was definitely excited and had been ever since it was known her parents would go on a date, and thus she enthusiastically agreed to help Bella find an outfit. Angela, happy that Bella was taking a chance on happiness, also agreed to help her find an outfit as well.

Driving into Forks Sarah asked her mother, "Mom, are you going to wear a dress and have your hair pinned up?"

"Um, I don't know sweetie," Bella replied. "I don't even know what we're going to do. Jacob promised he'd handle everything, so I don't know what to expect."

Sarah nodded and hummed along to the song playing on the radio. Angela smiled and said to Bella, "I'm so happy that you are doing this. I can say Jacob is excited. Embry said he couldn't stop talking about what you two would do tonight."

Bella blushed a bit before saying, "I hope it's nothing too over the top. It will be really overwhelming." It definitely had been when Edward had been romancing her in their marriage after Sarah had been born. Everything date he planned got even more extravagant and over the top than the last. A simple, intimate date was all that she asked for, and she was sure to get that with Jacob.

"Jacob doesn't seem like the kind of man to do something like that, especially for the woman he's been in love with for years."

The blush on Bella's face darkened slightly, but she couldn't help but smile. Yes, she was really looking forward to her first date with Jacob. Before long they were pulling up in front of a boutique that Bella didn't remember being present when she last lived in Forks. Getting out of the car Bella asked, "Is this place new?"

Angela nodded and replied, "Yes, but not really. This boutique opened in Forks about four years ago. They sell really nice clothes and accessories, but…"

"But?"

"It's owned by Jessica and Lauren, and I haven't been on speaking terms with Jessica in about two years."

Bella was surprised to hear that but nodded and braced herself before walking into the boutique with her friend and daughter. Stepping inside she saw that it was indeed a very beautiful shop with many nice clothes and accessories for women; she briefly wondered if she'd be able to afford any of it. However, she was nervous running into either Lauren or Jessica. Lauren had never liked her, even before she got with Edward, and Jessica mostly acted like she liked Bella, but she was sure she didn't like her all that much. As she browsed with Angela and Sarah, she didn't notice the woman walk up behind her until she began speaking.

"Bella Swan, I can't believe you're actually here in my store," the voice spoke with an obvious sneer in her voice.

Turning her head Bella came face to face with Lauren Mallory. The blonde looked even more snootier and bitchier than when they were in high school, and it was obvious she had some plastic surgery done. Her nose was straighter than she remembered, and her bust was definitely bigger than it used to be; it looked like she even had an eyebrow lift and fillers put into her lips. And there was no way that her waistline was real. Tucking her lip in a fake smile Bella said, "Lauren."

Lauren looked down her nose at Bella and asked, "What are you even doing back in Forks? I didn't think you'd show your face back here ever since leaving town and marrying Cullen."

Before Bella could retort Sarah stepped and asked, "Mom, who is this bitch?"

Lauren looked offended at being called such a name by a child, though Bella couldn't help but smirk. She'd reprimand Sarah about using foul language later, but for now she would let her say what she wanted. Looking at her daughter she said, "This is Lauren Mallory, an old classmate of mine."

"Are you sure? She looks old."

"You little brat!" Lauren hissed at Sarah before turning back to Bella. "We all speculated that you married Cullen so quickly because you got yourself pregnant, and looks like the rumors are true. I always knew you were spreading your legs for him; it's the only reason he would have stayed with you so long considering you're pathetic."

Bella fumed before retorting, "You want to know what's pathetic? You getting plastic surgery to make yourself look like something that isn't real. The only reason you couldn't nab Edward was because he didn't want a skank that spread her legs for any guy that asked back in high school. And you trying to take jabs at me now thirteen years later is pathetic. I've moved on with my life and you're still dwelling on petty events that happened back in high school. Grow the hell up, Lauren."

"Yeah, and if it makes you feel better, get more plastic surgery and end up looking like a troll," Sarah said, her expression mirroring Bella's in that moment.

Lauren looked completely affronted and shrieked before yelling, "Get out of my store!"

"Gladly," Angela said glaring at Lauren. "Come on Sarah, Bella. Let's go somewhere else to find a dress for your date tonight."

Angela, Bella, and Sarah quickly left the boutique and climbed back into Angela's car, ignoring Lauren as she glared after them. They went to another nearby boutique with much better customer service and soon Bella was in a dressing room trying on a lavender dress that stopped just above her knees and showed her arms and had an a-line neckline. The dress was simple yet elegant for a night on the town or a date. The skirt of the dress also swayed a bit when she moved and she thought she looked nice. Taking a deep breath Bella stepped out of the dressing room and stood before her daughter and friend. Noticing their smiles she asked, "What do you think?"

Sarah clapped her hands together excitedly and answered, "It's perfect!"

"Ang?"

"You look lovely, and Jacob will think so, too," Angela replied. "But the deciding factor is if you like it and want it."

Bella turned to face the full-length mirror and looked at herself once again. She actually looked really nice in the dress and it complimented her more than she thought it would. She preferred the lavender color as opposed to the blue that Edward and Alice would keep her in. Making a decision, Bella nodded and said, "This is it, this is the dress."

* * *

Later that evening, Jacob waited in the living room with Billy as he waited for Bella to exit hers and Sarah's room. It was almost time for his and Bella's date, and he was nervous. He felt like the teenage boy he used to be before phasing again, the one that wanted nothing more than to impress Bella, but still loved her even after the world seemed to set impossible responsibilities on his shoulders. He was seated on the couch wearing a white button up tucked into clean dark blue jeans with black shoes on his feet. He had borrowed some of Embry's cologne—something he needed to invest in—and made sure his hair didn't look scruffy. Billy had told him he looked nice and assured him that Bella would think so as well, something hoped was true.

Billy looked at his son who seemed to be putting on a calm air, but he knew better with the way the boy's leg was bouncing. Shaking his head he said, "Son, it's just Bella. There is no reason to be nervous."

Jacob looked at his father almost incredulously before saying, "Dad, it's because it _is_ Bella. I'm finally getting the chance I didn't have all those years ago, and I'm feeling like a nervous wreck." He looked down at the floor and sighed. "I just want tonight to go well."

The chief said nothing, just nodded and went back to looking at the television that had been playing silently. Five minutes went by before the sound of Sarah and Bella's bedroom door opened, alerting the men to the sound. Jacob stood up and looked down the hall, smiling softly when Sarah came out first with a very proud expression on her face. Not long after, Bella exited the room and Jacob felt his eyes widen in wonder and his mouth drop open slightly.

The brunette looked amazing. The lavender dress she was wearing hugged her frame nicely and complimented her wonderfully. Her brown hair was flowing in voluminous waves and she had the barest hint of makeup on that it didn't seem like she was wearing any at all. She had a beautiful natural blush on her cheeks and her pink lips were cute and pouty. On her feet she wore white sandals securely strapped around her ankles. Her getup was simple, and yet she never looked more beautiful to Jacob.

Bella looked back at Jacob, fiddling with the hem of her dress nervously before willing herself to be calm stepping up towards Jacob she said softly, "Hi."

"Hi," Jacob said almost breathlessly. "You look beautiful, Bells."

Bella blushed and mumbled 'thank you', her hear racing in her chest at the natural compliment from Jacob. She remembered when she used to almost hate that he would call her beautiful, because she believed herself to be anything but beautiful or pretty. And sure, Edward had said it too, but she never believed it. But now, hearing Jacob call her beautiful, she believed for the first time that perhaps she really was to him.

Billy looked between the two, his mind immediately flashing back to them being teenagers and dancing around their obvious feelings for each other, or at least Bella dancing around her feelings for his boy. Shaking his head with a smile he said, "You two best be on. You don't want to be late for your date."

Bella blinked and nodded before turning to Sarah. "Are you sure you'll be alright here with Billy?"

Sarah nodded and answered, "Grandpa and I will be fine, mom."

"Yes, we will," Billy agreed. "Now go on, you two. Go have fun and enjoy your date."

Jacob and Bella bid Sarah and Billy 'goodbye' and left, climbing into Jacob's car and leaving the little red house. The moment the car was out of sight, Sarah clapped her hands and said, "I just know things are going to go well. I have good feeling in my gut."

Billy looked off to the side slightly before saying, "I hope everything goes right tonight as well. Everything between them last time seemed to be doomed from the start because of Cullen, so I hope it works out this time. I won't be able to stand it if your mother breaks my son's heart again."

Sarah frowned before saying, "I'm sure she didn't mean to."

"I know she didn't Sarah, but Cullen and his family made it hard for her to choose Jacob before. With them gone and not instilling their influence on her, hopefully things go the way they were meant to." The distaste in his voice concerning the Cullens was prevalent.

The preteen nodded slowly, still not fully understanding her grandfather's and father's great dislike for the Cullens, but she chopped it up to her mother's husband taking her mother away from her father. As for Billy, the way he spoke made it seem like the Cullens caused him and her dad nothing but trouble before leaving. It made her wonder what their history was, and how her mother fell into it. Biting her lip briefly—the action reminding Billy of Bella—she asked, "Could you tell me the history between you and the Cullens?"

Surprised by the sudden question Billy said, "I suppose I could. But can I ask what brought this on?"

"Well, mom's husband quite frankly doesn't like dad and probably you and whoever your guys are involved with here on the Res, and it's obvious you and dad hold some hostility towards the Cullens in some way. I would like to know why or what caused it. Any history you can tell me, I'd like to know. Would you tell me, please?"

Billy instantly felt conflicted. If he told Sarah the truth, he'd have to tell her about the Cullens being vampires and the existence of vampires, of the Quiluete Shifters, the Treaty that was created, her mother's involvement, _everything._ It was obvious neither of her parents had told her anything, but Sarah was also a very curious girl. Not only that, but she had already encountered both Jacob and Seth in their wolf forms, and Seth had Imprinted on her the moment he saw her. They were probably not telling her for her safety and innocence, but he had a feeling Sarah would soon figure out that she was having important information withheld from her and would soon start digging for answers. He himself didn't want to dump all of it on her at once, but maybe he could start with the tribal stories he always told at the campfires. That didn't seem like a bad place to start, and he could gradually build up from there over time.

Sighing Billy said, "I will tell you, but only a bit at a time. Is that okay?"

Nodding Sarah said, "Yes, that's fine."

"Good. Now to start off with, I want to tell you some Quileute tribe legends. I can guarantee you that they are interesting, and more than likely, completely true."

Sarah smiled and situated herself on the couch, grabbing the pillow there and settling it in her lap. She loved stories and she loved legends, and if what her grandpa Billy was going to tell her was more than likely true, than she couldn't wait to hear it. As Billy began to tell her the old Quileute tribe stories, Sarah listened intently and her mind supplied images to the stories, her mind alight in wonder.


	13. Chapter 13

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 13

Driving out of La Push and towards Forks, Jacob couldn't stop the erratic beating of his heart. He was finally taking Bella out on a real date, their first one to be exact. He honestly couldn't help but feel like he was sixteen again, even though he was twenty-nine years old. But he figured that most men, no matter how old they were, felt like nervous teenage boys taking the love of their lives out on dates.

Unbeknownst to Jacob, Bella was thinking the same thing. Here she was, thirty-one years old and couldn't help but feel like she was eighteen again around Jacob. And now for them to be going on a date, she felt so incredibly nervous. It almost seemed ridiculous how nervous she was, but she had to acknowledge that Jacob never failed to make her feel that way when it came to acts of romantic affection. Even though she was excited for this date, she couldn't help but wonder how things would be long term. Anything they could have had before had been destroyed due to her own actions, and she believed she didn't deserve Jacob. He was so amazing and he deserved someone that was good for him—his perfect match—and she didn't think she was it. But she also wanted to take a chance on her own happiness. And Angela was correct about how if she wasn't in love with Jacob, then she wouldn't be so torn up about her feelings for him.

 _"_ _If you two weren't meant to be, Sarah wouldn't exist."_ Angela had told her that, and she couldn't help but think that was true. The love she and Jacob had for each other came together and created her beautiful, amazing, loving daughter and a reminder of her love for Jacob. And though she was happy with Sarah, she wanted to be happy with a significant other that didn't resent Sarah for who she was. Not only that, but she still wanted the happily ever after she thought she was going to have and it yet eluded her. Maybe this time around, it would find her and present itself.

They were silent in the car for a moment, only the sound of the radio playing softly filling the car. After a while Bella asked, "So where are we going?"

Smiling Jacob said, "A movie."

"We're going to do dinner and a movie?"

"If the movie is first, then technically it is a movie and dinner. And to answer your question, yes, I am. But it's not just any regular movie, Bells."

Crossing over the border into Forks, Bella tilted her head wondering what Jacob meant. As far as she knew, the only movie theaters there was nearby was in Port Angeles, and if they weren't going there then where were they going? Before she could ponder it more, Jacob turned down a road that she had seen before but never ventured down. They drove along the winding road before finally entering a parking lot filled with other cars. Parking his car in an empty space, Jacob smiled at Bella and asked, "Ready?"

Looking at him Bella smiled in return and nodded answering, "Yeah, I am."

Jacob smiled brightly as they got out of his car, Jacob locking it the moment the doors were shut. The two of them began walking out of the parking lot and along a path that lead through a small patch of trees. As they walked, Jacob brushed his hand against Bella's, almost as if he wanted to hold her hand. The brunette looked down at their hands before tentatively taking hold of the man's. It was almost strange how nervous and skittish they were acting towards each other now. Had they done this thirteen years ago, it wouldn't have even phased them to hold hands; it had been completely natural. But now it was strange, yet completely welcome. Perhaps it had to do with what happened between them and the thirteen years that had passed. Even if that was the case, Bella could feel the nervous tension beginning to dissipate the moment her small hand was enveloped in Jacob's large one.

Looking down at their joined hands, Jacob smiled and gave her hand a small squeeze and kept walking with Bella by his side. Soon they entered a clearing where they were met by large white projection screen. There were many people seated on blankets taking to each other, many of them seeming to be couples. Realizing what she was looking at Bella gasped softly and said in awe, "An outdoor movie!"

"Yeah, I thought you'd like it. You know, something simple but enjoyable," Jacob replied, scratching the back of his head.

Bella grinned brightly up at Jacob and told him, "This is perfect. I've always wanted to go to an outdoor or drive-in movie. But wait, how are we going to enjoy it without a blanket to sit on?"

Grinning at the brunette, Jacob gently tugged her along through the crowd of people to an empty space with a blanket already spread out. On the blanket was a little sign that had Jacob's name on it. Moving to sit on the blue and red checkered blanket, Jacob said, "I took the liberty of reserving a spot of us, though it took a lot of groveling and a payment of thirty dollars."

Chocolate brown eyes stared down at Jacob as Bella tilted her head slightly before she let out a soft chuckle. Moving to sit down next to Jacob, all the while making sure her dress didn't rise to high up her legs, she settled down next to her date and got comfortable on the blanket. Once she was comfy, Bella looked up at Jacob to see him silently watching her, a fond smile on his face. Feeling a blush rising on her cheeks, she asked, "What? What is it?"

Shaking his head, he answered, "Nothing. You're just really beautiful."

The blush on her face deepened and Bella ducked her head, allowing her hair to fall into her face to hide her from view, though it was fruitless. A large hand gently took hold of her chin and lifted her head, causing her to look up at Jacob, looing right into his eyes. Those eyes, they were filled with so much obvious and unabashed love, all of it directed towards her; it made her heart ache. Breaking eye contact with him, Bella cleared her throat before asking, "So, what are we watching?"

Jacob blinked before dropping his hand and saying, "We're watching _Titanic._ "

Bella let out another soft gasp before smiling. She absolutely loved that movie and hadn't seen it in a while. She had tried to get Edward to sit and watch it with her, but he would do nothing but bash the characters and movie while spouting facts she didn't care to know about the real Titanic and other events from 1912. With him spouting his knowledge every time she tried to get him to watch the movie—his own personal attempt to not have to fully watch it—she never got to enjoy it. But now, here with Jacob, she could enjoy the movie to the fullest again. She didn't know if Jacob cared much for the movie, but he was willing to sit and watch it with her because he cared about her and wanted to spend time with her. He really was too sweet for his own good.

As the movie started and the talking crowd began to quiet down, Bella turned her attention to the large screen, immediately drawn into the movie. Jacob too was rather engrossed with the movie, so much so that he was surprised thirty minutes into the movie when Bella leant against him, practically snuggled into his side. Looking down at her he saw Bella looking back up at him, her eyes looking large and innocent in the light of the movie screen.

"Is this okay?" Bella asked him in a whisper, wondering if maybe she had overstepped considering they were really just starting over.

Jacob didn't verbally reply to her question. Instead he wrapped his arm around her and held her closer, silently letting her know that he didn't mind. Smiling to herself, Bella snuggled into Jacob again and turned her attention back to the movie, the two of them enjoying each other's warmth and company as they watched the film. Soon they seemed to forget that there were others around them enjoying the very same movie they were watching. In that moment, it was just the two of them; it was just Jake and Bells.

* * *

Bella was happy that Jacob didn't question her or say anything as she sniffled and wiped her tears away with a napkin she had snagged. _Titanic_ always made her cry, especially when Rose told Jack she'd never let go while he sank into the icy ocean. Edward had always criticized her for crying during the movie, but Jacob hadn't done so. No instead, he had said nothing and held her closer, allowing her comfort during the heartbreaking scene and onward. The movie had ended and now it was time for them to go have dinner.

Jacob stood and offered Bella a hand, helping her up before they walked back towards the parking lot. Wiping away the last of her tears and blowing her nose, Bella asked, "Where are we going to eat?"

"I know it's probably not what you were expecting, but I've got us a picnic set up for us not too far from here," Jacob told her.

Smiling in response Bella said, "No, that's great actually. I would love a picnic."

Happy that she liked what he had planned, Jacob took her hand and continued the walk back to his car. Once they reached it and got back inside, Jacob drove back down the winding road and back into the somewhat busy road of Forks, driving about five miles before turning off onto another road. This road was mostly gravel, causing the car to rumble as Jacob drove down it. It wasn't long before Jacob pulled over into what was another parking lot, only this one empty save for their car.

Exiting the car the two of them walked down a path that seemed to lead towards a small lake. As the lake came further into view and grew bigger the closer they got to it, Bella took notice of lantern glowing on the ground about two to three meters away from the shoreline of the lake. Stepping up to it, her eyes widened at seeing the little picnic setup Jacob had made for her. There was a wicker basket, its contents unknown, along with a cooler set next to it. There were two pillows situated on the blanket, either for them to sit on or rest their heads on later, Bella didn't know. And finally, there was a wireless radio playing soft romantic music.

Jacob looked at Bella and held his hand out towards the picnic saying, "After you."

Bella giggled and moved to sit on one of the pillows, waiting for Jacob to do the same. As he began opening and reaching into the wicker basket, Bella briefly wondered if Jacob had really prepared the food they were going to indulge in, or did he buy it already made. However, knowing how Jacob was in a kitchen, she knew he didn't make a single thing. She supposed even if he had bought it, it was the thought that counted, and she was going to enjoy it regardless. As he pulled out the containers, he said, "Just so you know, this food was already prepared when I got it. I wanted to actually make it, but dad told me I was just three minutes from starting a fire in the kitchen."

They both laughed at that, clearly hearing Billy's voice in their heads saying those exact words. Calming down from her laughter Bella replied, "It's alright, Jake. I really appreciate the effort regardless of whether you made the food or not. Besides, the rotisserie chicken smells good."

The man grinned as he continued to empty the wicker basket before filling up the provided plates with food. After handing one of them to Bella, as well as an eating utensil, the two of them dug into the food while conversing with one another. Time seemed to pass by slowly, but in a good way. They talked and laughed together, even after the food was gone, Jacob eating his fair share and then some. Bella couldn't remember the last time that she had laughed and smiled this much in her life. She was having so much fun on her date with Jacob, she didn't want the night to end.

Eventually they both lay back on the blanket, their heads resting on the pillows as they gazed into the night sky. The stars were out and easily seen from where they were, not being obstructed by the lights of the town. Jacob softly pointed out constellations to Bella, even pointing out some Quileute constellations that had her looking at them and him in amazement. When he pointed out a constellation of a wolf, she took note that it wasn't Lupus, but rather one that had to be a Quileute wolf constellation. As they stared at it, Jacob said, "It's believed that constellation is the form of Taha Aki, but no one really knows for sure."

"It's amazing," Bella replied.

Right about the time she said that, a shooting star shot across the sky. Pointing up at the sky Bella said, "A shooting star! Make a wish, Jake."

Jacob was silent for a moment before saying, "My wish has already come true, but if I had to make another one, then I'd wish for it to continue forever."

The brunette turned her head to look at Jacob, meeting his gaze as he looked back at her. They stared at one another for a while before Bella decided to make a bold move. Leaning towards him, she placed a soft yet quick kiss on Jacob's lips before pulling away, directing her gaze back at the sky. As a blush appeared on her cheeks, she whispered, "Me too. I wish for my wish to continue forever too."

The Shifter stared at Bella in shock from her sudden bold move. Bella had just kissed him! Looking back at the starry sky, Jacob couldn't help but smile as he did. Bella had kissed him and while it had been quick, it had sent the most pleasant tingles down his spine and warmth spread throughout his entire body. Grinning, he took hold of Bella's hand and held it tightly without hurting her, entwining their fingers as he did. Bella gave his hand a squeeze in return, the both of them happy that their date was ending on a good note. But most of all, they were happy that they were rekindling the romance they never officially got to pursue before. It made them both happy and looking forward to what the future had in store for them.

* * *

Sarah lay in bed looking at the ceiling, thinking about the Quileute legends that her grandfather had told her. She couldn't believe that the Quileute people were descendants of wolf Shifters, or something like that. It was so fascinating to learn that the warriors of old were protectors of their lands and tribes, according to the legend of course. And though it seemed to be real with the way grandpa Billy had told it to her, she had to remind herself some of it probably wasn't real or true. Even so, his stories and descriptions of the Cold Ones made her blood seem to run cold.

The Cold Ones almost sounded like—at least by appearance, anyway—the Cullens. But the Cold Ones were vampires, and the Cullens weren't vampires, nor did vampires really exist. Still, the Cold Ones from her grandfather's stories gave her pause in concern to her mother's husband—or was it ex-husband now?—and his family. She figured she was probably getting herself stirred up over something that wasn't true and decided to shove it out of her mind for now.

Snuggling deeper into the sheets, Sarah felt herself drifting off to sleep, attempting to fight to stay awake to wait for her parents to return home. But try as she might, she lost the battle of wakefulness and soon fell into slumber, her dreams filled with Quileute warriors and wolves the size of trucks, roaming their lands and protecting them from Cold Ones.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I think I really suck at writing chapters dealing with dates, but I'm hoping this one turned out alright. I wanted to focus on how though both Jacob and Bella were nervous for their date, how they seemed to easily fall back into how they acted before as teenagers, and I hoped I was able to somewhat capture that. Also, it seems like Sarah might be in the beginning stages of putting the truth together, doesn't she? Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next one. Love, SehunsBae37.**


	14. Chapter 14

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 14

The next morning Sarah woke up early, the morning sun just beginning to seep in through the curtain of hers and her mother's room. Looking over to her mom's side of the room, she smiled seeing the brunette sleeping peacefully. She wondered what time her mother had come home from her date with her father. She really wanted to ask her how it went, but she didn't want to wake her mom up. She just wanted to let her sleep for a bit.

Quietly Sarah got out of bed and crept out of the bedroom and down the hall to the bathroom. Along the way she could hear her father's loud snores coming from his closed bedroom door, and her grandfather's equally loud snores coming from his bedroom. Stepping into the bathroom, she closed and locked the door before relieving herself and washing her hands. Once that was done she brushed her teeth and washed her face before brushing her dark brown hair, fashioning it into a ponytail on top of her head. When she was satisfied with how her hair looked, she left the bathroom and went back to the room she occupied with her mother and changed out of her pajamas. Putting on a pair of green jeans and a grey V-neck t-shirt, she slipped her feet into a pair of socks and grey Converses before quietly leaving the room, grabbing her light jacket on the way. Closing the door behind her, she crept through the quiet house before leaving out the front door, shutting that behind her quietly as well.

Breathing in the fresh morning air, Sarah let out a sigh before taking off in a light jog into the wood. Jogging in the woods, she felt at peace and at her happiest. She just loved being outdoors! Her mom had told her it was something she got from her father, considering she herself didn't particularly like being out in the elements. Slowing to a walk, Sarah looked around, loving the trees and the dewy grass and hearing the chittering of squirrels and chipmunks. As she walked she began wondering if she would run into the large sandy colored wolf again. It was so sweet and friendly, and she really liked it. She walked a bit further before she heard almost discernable footsteps walking along side her; not directly by her side, but she knew something was there. Recognizing the steps to be those of a wolf, she quickly turned and jogged over toward it, thinking it was her sandy colored friend. However she stopped when she came face to face with a dark silver coated wolf instead.

Gasping in surprise, Sarah took a step back from it, especially with the look it had in its eyes. It looked almost like it despised her, wanted her away from it. As the wolf stared at her Sarah said softly, "Hello."

The wolf made no sign nor moved, just continued to stare at her. However, when Sarah reached out a hand towards it, the wolf growled and she took her hand back. She took a step back from the large wolf, knowing immediately this one was not as friendly—if at all—as the two she met previous. A cold nose pressed into her hand that was down by her side, surprising her and causing her to jump. Turning her head she saw the sandy wolf standing slightly behind her, looking at her and giving her a comforting nuzzle. The wolf looked from her to the dark silver one in front of her before growling at it warningly, moving to stand in front of Sarah.

Sarah watched the exchange in fascination, watching the two large wolves stand off against one another, looking as if they were having some sort of conversation right before her eyes. Before long the silver wolf let out a huff before turning and walking off, but not before turning to look at Sarah and let out an annoyed sounding huff. As that wolf walked away, the sandy one nuzzled Sarah and gave her a lick on her cheeks. Smiling Sarah hugged the wolf around its large neck, her fingers buried in its soft fur. Pulling away a bit to look in its large brown eyes, she smiled and said, "Thank you, friend."

* * *

"Thank you, friend."

Seth moved his head against Sarah to nuzzle her once more before giving her cheek another lick. He was glad his Imprint liked and appreciated him, even if she didn't really know who he was in this form. When he had seen her through Paul's mind, he had instantly headed their way, not sure of what Paul would do to Sarah. It had been obvious his Pack brother wasn't fond of Sarah, and that was only because she was a product of Bella and Jacob, two people he despised more times than not (or in Bella's case, just despised). Luckily for him he had made it in time before Paul could think to do anything to the girl. He had to remind the fool that he couldn't take his anger and resentment for Jacob and Bella out on their daughter, especially when she hadn't done anything, nor knew about the supernatural in their little world. Seth also threatened Paul that if he so much as hurt his Imprint, he wouldn't hesitate to rip him apart. Not just him, but Jacob too.

Turning his attention towards Sarah once more, he heard her stomach rumble a bit, indicating that she was hungry. Nudging her with his nose, he crouched down and indicated he wanted her to get on his back, planning on giving her a lift home. Of course, he'd drop her off after taking her for a run. Sarah grinned at him and eagerly climbed on his back, burying her hands in his sandy fur and taking a hold of it as he began trotting along before taking off in a light run. As he ran—picking up speed until he was in a full-on run—he listened to his Imprint's delighted squeals and giggle, pleased that he was able to make her laugh and have fun.

After about ten minutes of running and riding, Seth ended up at the edge of the woods near the Black house. He stepped out of the woods a few steps before stopping, allowing Sarah time to slide off his back. Once she was back on the ground, Sarah hugged him tightly before telling him, "I wish you could stay, but I think you'd give my parents and grandfather heart attacks if they saw you. But I know you're a sweetheart and you wouldn't hurt me or them."

Sensing her slight sadness, Seth lifted his front paw and wrapped it around her frame, seemingly hugging her the best he could. Sarah hugged him a little longer before letting go from him. Smiling and waving at him, she bid him 'goodbye' before running to the little red house. He waited until she was back inside before turning and running off to head back home, him having spent the last bit of his patrol with his sweet Imprint.

* * *

Billy looked up from stirring his morning coffee when the front door opened and Sarah stepped inside. He looked out the door briefly before the preteen closed the door, catching a glimpse of Seth in his wolf form before turning his attention back to his granddaughter. Smiling at her he greeted, "Good morning, Sarah."

"Morning, grandpa!" Sarah greeted happily in return, the grin on her face just like his son's and late wife's.

Taking a sip of his coffee he stated, "You're up early."

Walking into the kitchen with her grandfather, she took a seat next to him at the table. Getting comfortable Sarah said, "Yeah, I was. I wanted to see my furry friend. Grandpa, he—at least I'm sure it's a 'he'—is so sweet! He lets me ride his back as he runs and its almost like he can understand me."

"Furry friend? When you say that you mean…?"

"He's a giant wolf, about the size of a bear, and he's sandy colored too. He also has a buddy bigger than he is; that one is like a burnt red color. And I saw a third one this morning, a silvery like coat. He protected me from that one since it didn't seem to like me much. Mom says I have a way with wild animals, but this one just seemed to not like me at all."

Billy took another sip of his coffee while looking off to the side, knowing good and well the child was talking about Paul. That boy still resented Jacob and hated Bella, and it seemed as if he wasn't willing to get to know or have anything to do with Sarah just because of who her parents were. He would have to speak to Rachel about that, see if his daughter could straighten that fool out a bit.

"But grandpa, these wolves…they are just like the ones from the legends. Just like the wolf Shifters. It's amazing! But I doubt those legends are really true. I mean, no offense, but werewolves and vampires don't roam the earth. And vampires can't walk around in the sun without burning to ashes." Sarah looked down at the table for a moment. "Though, the Cold Ones sound a lot like mom's husband and his family. I mean, they're skin is cold to the touch, almost unnaturally so. Though, mom says it is because they don't have good blood circulation and low iron."

He wanted to tell her that she was correct about the Cullens, that the legends indeed were real. He wanted to tell her about how they were involved, her father being a Quileute Shifter and the Alpha, and her mother's involvement, but he knew he couldn't do that. That was Jacob and Bella's responsibility to tell her, not his. He could do what he had done with Bella: tell Sarah just enough for her to figure it out. And he honestly had no doubt that would soon, and he wasn't sure how she would react to it. Hopefully she would take it for what it was and hopefully wouldn't feel too upset at having all of this withheld from her. Then again, Jacob stayed angry with him for the longest about it being withheld from him. He didn't want Sarah to feel that same way with her parents. Maybe he should just bite the bullet and tell her, but again, it was her parents' responsibility to do so.

Before he could think on it more, Bella walked in from the hallway, a yawn escaping from her mouth that she covered with her hand. Looking at the two she said, "Good morning."

"Good morning, mom," Sarah replied.

"Did you go out early this morning again?"

"Yes."

Bella smiled fondly at her daughter before giving her a kiss on her forehead. Moving into the kitchen she asked, "How does eggs, bacon, and waffles sound for breakfast?"

"It sounds great, but I don't own a waffle maker, Bella," Billy replied.

"It's okay, I bought one the other day."

"Then bacon, eggs, and waffles it is."

Sarah cheered and stood up to help her mother cook but was stopped by Billy and told to go wake up her Jacob instead. With the warning that it would be hard to wake up her father, Sarah left down the hall to her father's bedroom. When her footsteps faded down the hall, Billy looked at Bella and said, "Bella, we need to talk about a few things."

Bella frowned hearing the serious tone in Billy's voice before taking her daughter's abandoned seat. Facing the man she asked, "What is this about?"

"It's about Sarah. I believe she needs to know about what really goes on around here, especially in concerns of all that you and Jacob went through thirteen years ago."

Chocolate brown eyes widened before Bella shook her head. "No Billy, I don't want Sarah knowing any of that. I mean, I'll tell her eventually, but not right now."

"Okay, but what if you wait too long and she finds out on her own? Whether that be she puts it together on her own or witnesses one of the Pack Shift, she will figure it out one day. As for right now, she just thinks the legends are fairytales, but she did acknowledge the Cold Ones sounded like the Cullens."

"You told her what they and the Pack really are?"

"No, I just told her the Quileute legends. She did ask me why there was so much hostility between us and the Cullens, but I didn't tell her, nor did I tell her how you are in the middle of it all and why."

Bella flushed a bit and looked down in her lap. She knew her life hadn't been all sunshine and rainbows after acquiring the knowledge of what Edward was and everything following. She hadn't even gotten it after marrying Edward like she had hoped because she found herself pregnant with Sarah. She wouldn't give her daughter up for anything. She loved Sarah and wanted her to have a happy life, but she also didn't want her going through all that she went through. But Billy also had a point. Sarah needed to be told the truth about the Cullens, the Pack, and what she had to do with it all. But that was something she would have to discuss with Jacob.

Speaking of Jacob, the man suddenly let out a yell, followed by Sarah's laughter. Bella and Billy looked at each other before looking towards the hallway. Jacob walked into the kitchen dripping from his hair and face, a somewhat annoyed look on his face with Sarah following him, a water gun in her hand and a proud smile on her face. Looking at them he said, "Sarah found my old water gun."

"It still had water in it," Sarah said, aiming it at Bella and shooting water at her.

Bella squealed at the sudden attack, jumping out of her seat as Sarah and Jacob laughed. Billy laughed as well, laughing harder when Bella turned the faucet on and sprayed water on his son and granddaughter with the water sprayer. Deciding he needed to get things under control, Billy spoke loudly, "Alright, alright, that's enough. Stop it now, before ruin my house. Bella, why don't you and Sarah got get changed while Jake and I clean up the water. After that we'll have breakfast."

Giggling Bella and Sarah nodded before heading back to their bedroom to dry off and change clothes. Jacob grabbed the mop and began mopping the wet floor while Billy grabbed a rag and took to the table and countertops. When that was done, Jacob left to go change his clothes and brush his teeth, Sarah and Bella coming back with fresh clothes on and their wet hair pull back from their faces. Soon Bella was preparing breakfast and the four of them were eating, laughing and enjoying each other. However, as they did that, Bella made a mental note to talk to Jacob at some point about what Billy had said. Sarah would soon figure everything out, and she supposed she'd rather her know sooner than later and be shocked by it all.

Glancing at Jacob, Bella found him looking at her with a loving smile. Blushing she looked down in her plate, remembering the night before. Or more specifically, the kiss she planted on his lips. She bit her lip before turning back to her breakfast, all the while feeling Jacob's lingering gaze on her. And in her chest, her heart beat faster.

* * *

Sam sat next to Leah's hospital bed in Forks Hospital, silently reading a book he had borrowed from the library. He looked up from the page he was reading to look at his beloved. Leah still had yet to wake up and the doctor still insisted that they seriously consider pulling the plug after six years, but Sam just couldn't do it. He loved Leah so much, and he couldn't live without her in his life. He had failed her before and he refused to fail her again.

A knock on the door brought his attention to it and the door opened before the person poked their head inside. Seeing that it was Seth, Sam said, "Hello Seth."

"Hi Sam," Seth greeted as he stepped inside. Following him inside was Sue, the woman carrying a vase of flowers. Seeing the man sitting next to her daughter's hospital Sue greeted, "Hello there, Sam."

"Hi Sue."

"How have you been? Not working too hard, I hope."

"I'm fine, and the kids enjoy gym class so it is rewarding what I'm doing."

Seth smiled and asked, "When will you let me assist you teaching P.E.?"

Sam looked at the younger man and answered, "Never."

The three of them chuckled when they all heard a sound. It was the sound of a rustle. Looking at Leah, Sam's eyes widened seeing her head turn slightly on the pillow and her arm shift a bit. Abruptly standing up and dropping his book, Sam took Leah's hand in his and asked, "Leah? Leah, can you hear me?"

Leah lay still and didn't move, but then suddenly her eyebrows knitted together. He could see her eyes moving beneath her eyelids and she gave his hand a light squeeze. Sam smiled before looking at Sue and Seth saying, "She's waking up."

Sue shoved the vase of flowers in her son's hands before rushing to her daughter's other side, taking Leah's hand in hers. Gently stroking her hair with tears in her eyes, she said, "Leah, honey, wake up. Wake up now, sweetie. We've been waiting on you."

Sam held his breath as Leah seemed to be struggling to wake up until finally she took a shuddering breath before opening her eyes for the first time in six years. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment before looking at the man that had happy tears slipping down his face. In a soft, hoarse voice she said, "Hi Sam."


	15. Chapter 15

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 15

Leah gently shushed Sam in comfort as he laid his head on her chest and cried, slowly lifting her free hand and placing it on his head. Her eyes shifted from the man crying on her to her mother's and brother's elated and tearstained faces. Smiling softly at them she greeted hoarsely, "Hey mom, hey Sethy."

A happy sob escaped Sue's mouth as she moved closer to her daughter and said, "My baby girl, you're finally awake. Oh, how I've missed looking into your eyes and seeing your smile."

"Hey sis," Seth said, his voice rough with emotion, happy though it was.

"You've grown more," Leah told him.

"Yeah, I guess I have. You've missed a lot, sis. We've got a lot to catch up on."

"I'm sure." Leah turned her attention back to Sam who had calmed down his crying and was sitting up, though he refused to let go of her hand and instead stared at her with a smile. Leah's already recovering breath hitched a bit seeing the smile, the same smile he used to wear when they had been together oh so long ago. Not only that, his eyes were full of pure love, all of it directed towards her.

Sam lifted the hand he was holding and kissed it before whispering, "I knew you would come back to me."

Leah said nothing in response, just stared at Sam in silence. She honestly didn't know what to say in response to his words. Yes, she knew he had been trying to win her back before Emily had hit her with her truck, but she had thought he would forget about her and move on with his life, especially with how long she had been unconscious. Wait, exactly how long had she been unconscious for? And why the hospital? It was obvious to her now it was a long time, but how long exactly? Before she could question it, Seth announced that he was going to call Jacob and Bella and let them know she was awake before leaving the hospital room.

Bella? Bella Swan? What was she doing back in Forks? And why was she with Jacob? Looking up at her mother and Sam in confusion, Sam smiled and said, "I know, I was shocked to see her back, too. But things have changed between the time she left and came back."

Sue nodded, having caught up with Billy about Bella's return and her daughter with Jacob upon the young woman's return after a week of her living with the Blacks. She also knew they were there to stay, especially with her son having Imprinted on Jacob's love child. However, it was better for Leah to hear it from Seth, Jacob, and maybe even Bella rather than her.

Leah nodded before asking, "How long have I been here? The last thing I remember was Emily barreling towards me with her truck, and then a lot of pain in my body. What happened after that?"

Sam and Sue looked at each other before Sue said softly, "You fell into a coma and have been here for the past six years, honey."

Six years?! Leah stared at her mother incredulously about the same time the doctor stepped into the hospital room, a shocked expression on his face. He walked over to her and began looking her over, checking her vitals on the monitors and such before saying, "Wow, Ms. Clearwater. I must say I'm surprised that you woke up. We weren't sure if you were going to after so long."

Sam glared at the doctor before growling, "We know, especially with you insisting we pull the plug every damn month, asshole."

"Sam!" Sue admonished, though Leah softly laughed despite the surprise of hearing that the doctor wanted to just end her life.

The doctor cleared his throat, his ears turning red in response to the Quileute man's words and hard glare. Blinking a few times he said, "Yes anyway, we will start Ms. Clearwater on a liquid diet during lunchtime in the hopes she can keep food down after six years, and start up physical therapy in about two to three days. As of right now, the nurse and I will run a few tests to make sure there won't be any lasting damage or something we may have overlooked previously."

Leah nodded and thanked the doctor, watching as he left with her mother following, probably to ask more questions. Once they were gone, it was just her and Sam left in the hospital room. Turning to look at him she asked softly with her hoarse voice, "Have you been here the whole time?"

Sam looked into her eyes, seeing a slight glimmer of hope shining in them. Smiling he nodded answering, "The whole time. I couldn't leave your side, not when I was the reason you ended up here. That, and I love you too much to walk away. And I promised myself that if you ever woke up again, I was never going to leave your side, no matter what. I know I've caused you so much pain and heartbreak—more than what was fair to anybody, more than anyone should have to go through—but I know for certain that my love for you will never go away and should you give me another chance, I promise to give you all the happiness I could never give you before and more. But only if you'll have me, of course. If not, then I accept that, but please allow me to stay by your side, even if we never get back together."

Tears that had built up in Leah's eyes silently slid down her cheeks at Sam's heartfelt confession. She knew he wasn't lying, that he was telling the truth. She could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. He really did love her, maybe even always had when he tossed her aside for her cousin. He was vowing to not go anywhere, that he was choosing her above any Imprint that was possibly still there—it might have been, she didn't know, but she also didn't really care either.

In a soft voice she simply said, "Okay."

Sam smiled and leant forward, softly pressing his lips against his love's cheek in a sweet kiss. Leah smiled in response before moving over a little, lightly patting the empty space next to her. Without a word Sam moved onto the hospital bed with her, lying next to her and wrapping his arm around her, holding her close. He smiled with Leah turned a bit to place her head on his shoulder, her hand coming up to rest on his chest right over his heart. The two of them laid there in silence, content in just being in each other's company. And that was how Sue found them when she returned, staring in shock at first before smiling at the two of them together. She silently hoped that this time around, Leah would truly be happy with Sam and that Sam wouldn't break her little girl's heart again.

* * *

Jacob grinned happily as he got off the phone. He had just gotten the news from Seth that Leah had finally— _finally!_ —woken up from her six-year coma. Moving from the garage where he had been working on a car, he headed back to the house where Bella and Sarah were. Billy had left not too long ago to visit Rachel, saying something about talking to her about her hardheaded boy threatening children, A.K.A., Paul. He hadn't the slightest what that was about, but he left that alone in favor of not having to deal with Paul. Entering the house he headed towards the kitchen, stopping at seeing Bella and Sarah in the midst of baking what looked to be chocolate cream pie. Even though the pie wasn't assembled or in the oven, it was already making his mouth water. Momentarily forgetting why he entered the house he said, "I already know that pie is going to be delicious."

Bella turned her head to face him as she whipped the homemade whipped cream with a hand whisk. Smiling she said, "I thought you were working on your latest project in the Taj."

"I was, but I just got a call from Seth with some good news. Leah has finally woken up today."

The brunette stopped whisking at the news, her chocolate brown eyes wide at the news. In an elated voice she asked, "Really? Leah is awake?"

"Yeah, she is Bells. She woke up while Seth, Sue, and Sam were visiting."

"I'll bet Sam is really happy. I mean, I know Sue and Seth are too, but from what Seth told me, I know Sam is beyond ecstatic. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if he had a happy moment and jumped around in joy."

Jacob gave Bella a deadpan look. "That'll never happen."

Bella laughed knowing he was right. Sarah looked up at her parents and asked, "Who is Leah?"

"She's Seth's older sister. She's been in the hospital for a long time," Bella replied.

"Sethy's sister? I want to meet her. Can I, mom and dad?"

Jacob grinned and nodded. "Of course, you can. I'm sure Seth would definitely want you to meet his big sister."

Bella nodded and said, "Yeah, I think you should meet her. But we should finish the pie and put it in the fridge to chill first. Then after that we can go."

Sarah nodded and returned to helping her mother with the chocolate cream pie. As the two of them continued with their task, Jacob sat at the table and watched them work, his eyes shining with love for both of them; Sarah, his little girl that he loved from the moment of learning she was his, and Bella, the love of his life. He never thought he would be here at this point in his life, in a very domestic setting as a father with a child and a…not-wife. Sometimes he still had a hard time believing he had gotten Bella pregnant, and yet the proof of it was standing next to her. He wondered how his life would be had he never known about Sarah. Well, he hadn't known, not until Sarah showed up on his doorstep and he really looked at her features. Sure, Bella had only come to Forks to get her and take her back to live with that damn Cullen clan, but he was glad he was able to convince her to stay. He knew it was a risk of having them stay, especially with how adamant Bella was about going back to those leeches in the beginning and the threat Edward imposed to Sarah, but he couldn't let them go. He couldn't let go of the child he hadn't known had existed in the past thirteen years, and he couldn't let go of Bella, not again.

Before long the chocolate cream pie was assembled and in the refrigerator to chill and set. Sarah left to go wash up, as she had gotten chocolate all over herself, leaving her parents alone to wait for her. Silence flowed between Jacob and Bella for a moment before Jacob asked, "Hey Bells, you remember how last night you said your wish was that it lasted forever?"

"Yeah," Bella replied.

"What is it that you want to last forever?"

The brunette didn't answer at first, though she did blush a bit. Jacob thought she probably wasn't going to answer at all until she finally spoke. Taking a deep breath Bella answered, "I want this happiness to last forever. I haven't been this happy in years, Jake. I thought returning to Forks would be the worst thing possible for me, but it has really been a blessing. Not only am I happy, Sarah is happy too. And you're a big part of that happiness. I'll admit, I've never been truly happy, not unless I was with you, but my mind was so clouded with Edward, wanting to become a vampire, afraid of growing old, and dealing with Victoria and everything else, I could never fully acknowledge that happiness and what it could mean for me in the long run. Not only that, but I was also running from my love for you."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "When I told you I loved you but just not enough, that was a lie. I did, but I was afraid to allow myself to acknowledge that at the time. And I had been through so much with Edward, it was just logical to me that he was my best option, even though now I know he was just my safe option, especially with the threat of the Volturi hanging over our heads. Even when I walked away with the intention to let you go, I couldn't do it. And I know I bothered poor Seth in badgering him about you when you ran away. Of course I was elated when you returned, but so scared when you said you were walking away from me. I didn't want to let you go, but I knew it was my fault for having you come to the decision you did. And though I knew it wasn't fair to Edward and it was selfish of me, I wanted to have one more night with you. It was wrong—we both know that—but I never regretted it, especially when I was gifted with Sarah. My baby gave me so much happiness, but Edward took it away with his threats against Sarah, though Sarah doesn't know about them. I would die to protect her, and I knew the only way to keep her safe was to stay with Edward. Now I see how silly thinking that was, but I felt I had no choice. I just hadn't counted on Sarah wanting to meet you so badly that she'd go to Rosalie to get here." Bella chuckled in humor. "Am I glad she did, though. Her making that decision and coming here to La Push, making me come after her, was the best thing to happen to me—after Sarah, of course. For once in my life, I am finally happy and even more so because I'm back here with you. And seeing Sarah happy and you two bond makes it even better. I don't want this happiness to end ever."

Jacob stared at Bella for a moment before smiling lovingly at her, reaching towards her to tuck her hair behind her ear. Taking her hand in his he kissed her knuckles before saying softly, "Nothing made me happier than finding out about Sarah, and then you coming back and staying. I've always known this, but you're the love of my life, Bella. It killed me when you married your leech and left, even after we gave ourselves to each other. But if all the pain and shit we went through was to bring us back together at this moment, then I don't regret a single thing that happened. I love you Bella, and I still do. And it may have just been the moment last night, but I'd like to think that you kissed me because you still love me as well."

Bella's cheeks turned pinker than they had before and she bit her lip before nodding her head, confirming Jacob's words. In a soft voice she replied, "Yes, I still love you. I just don't want to hurt you again."

"You won't."

"You don't know that. I've hurt you more times than necessary, I don't want to add to that."

Jacob gently took Bella's face in his hands. "I read somewhere once that the person you love the most will hurt you the most, and I'll be real, loving you hurts. But I believe the pain is worth it. If you think so too, then it won't be so bad to try this romance thing again. What do you say, Bells? Want to try again and rekindle what we had?"

Chocolate brown eyes stared into dark brown ones for a moment before a soft smile appeared on her lips. Jacob smiled in return and slowly leant forward, pressing his lips gently against Bella's. Bella kissed Jacob back, their lips melding against one another's naturally, like they were meant to fit together. As the two of them sat kissing each other softly, Sarah stood watching them from the hallway, grinning happily at the development between her parents.


	16. Chapter 16

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

 **Author's Note: I know this chapter is relatively short, but it is important to the plot. That, and work has been kicking my butt with my flipping hours. But I hope you all enjoy this chapter and stay tuned for more to come. Love, SehunsBae37.**

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 16

Life was going well for Bella and had been for the past two weeks. Or rather, her relationship with Jacob was going well. She and Sarah had been living on the Reservation for about two, if not almost three months so far and they hadn't been happier. She and Jacob were now currently dating and going steady, and their daughter made it no secret how excited she was her parents were together romantically. Everything for them came naturally, or as Jacob would say, as easy as breathing. And for the first time in many years, Bella could finally say she was breathing after being suffocated for so long.

Not only was life good for her, Jacob, and Sarah, it was going well for those around them as well. Angela and Embry were excited for their baby to come in six more months, and her stomach was beginning to show. Paul was being less of an asshole, Jacob believing it had something to do with his sister. Jared and Kim were doing good as well, and the brother-sister bond between Quil and Claire was stronger than ever, the girl still viewing him as such though she was now fifteen going on sixteen. Old Quil—still living to Bella's surprise—had told him it would change in time, but Quil wasn't holding his breath. Seth of course still loved being around Sarah and was even happier with his big sister finally out of the hospital.

When Leah had been released from the hospital, she had of course moved back home where she was being cared for by Sue and Seth. However she and Sam, their relationship in the beginning stages of romance again, were talking and Sam visiting frequently whenever he wasn't working. The love they had for each other was obvious, and though Leah had agreed to let Sam by her side, she was still hesitating to take that step in dating him once again. The first time around had been painful enough and she didn't want to go through it again, but Sam was adamant that she was it for him and he wasn't letting her go. Sue, though cautious, had encouraged her daughter to give Sam another chance, even though she knew her daughter was already leaning towards doing so. Bella was hoping they could make things work out this time, especially now that Emily was no longer in the picture after what she had done to her cousin. Sam seemed to be positive they would be alright; it was Leah that needed to reassure herself.

Things were going perfectly for them all, and before Bella knew it, Sarah's birthday was soon upon them. Her baby was going to be turning thirteen years old in just four days. She wanted to do something special for her daughter, something not at all like anything the Cullens had done over the year, nothing at all over the top. She believed a simple, yet fun and enjoyable bonfire would be something the little brunette would like. With this idea in mind, she went to Jacob and Billy to get their opinions. Billy had just smiled and said, "Absolutely, Bella. We can pull it together in four days. And Sarah will get her very first sip of my homemade moonshine."

"No," Jacob and Bella had responded automatically, a type of sternness in their voices that only a parent would have.

Billy had just laughed at them and told them he had been kidding but would begin preparations for his granddaughter's thirteenth birthday party, and enlisted the help of Charlie, Seth, and the rest of the Pack. Jacob and Bella had thanked him and set themselves to find the perfect birthday gift for Sarah. They were confident they would have her the perfect gift by her birthday and couldn't wait for that day to roll around. Sarah would be turning thirteen, and they were sure it was going to be a joyous occasion.

* * *

Edward Cullen stared at the calendar hanging on the wall from where he was sitting at his grand piano. Almost three months. It had been almost three months since Sarah had fled from Colorado to Forks and Bella had gone after her, yet to return.

He had specifically told her not to interact with that damn wolf Jacob Black and to quickly return with Sarah. With how long it had been, it seemed that his wife had not listened and seemed to have no plans on returning with his step-daughter. He had tried calling her, only for her cellphone to no longer be in service. He had even tried to look up Bella's credit and debit card activity, only to find that it stopped the day she left to get Sarah at the airport. It seemed he had no way to contact his own wife. Even enlisting Alice wasn't helping, seeing as she couldn't see either Bella or Sarah, letting him know they were around those blasted wolves.

Turning to face the piano, his placed his fingers delicately on the pure white and black keys and began to play the lullaby he had composed for Bella, the lullaby she loved…or rather, used to love. Playing it for her over the years did nothing but sadden her and make her angry, something he could not understand. Bella acted like she didn't love him anymore, but he knew that simply was not true. Otherwise she wouldn't have married him. He had forgiven her for her infidelity towards him, even for getting pregnant and having his enemy's baby. He had believed that things would get better, but they had not. Edward was sick of Bella acting like she did not love him anymore. She still loved him deep down, he knew she did. He just had to make her see that. However, he couldn't do that if she wasn't where he was.

Rosalie flounced into the room carrying blue and silver fabric in one arm and a sewing machine in the other, humming the tune to the birthday song. Frowning Edward asked, "Rosalie, what is that for?"

The blonde turned towards her brother and answered, "For Sarah's birthday. It's in four days, you know. Unless you forgot, like you always try to do. Anyway, I'm making her a dress to send to her." With that, Rosalie left the room, leaving Edward to his thoughts.

Sarah's birthday…she would be turning thirteen. Turning back to the calendar Edward's eyes landed on the date that indicated Sarah's birth, the day that forever changed his pitiful existence and began to pull Bella away from him. He turned back to the piano and began playing another melody, one he had composed at random that reflected his absolute hate for Jacob Black and by extension, Sarah. He kept playing it over and over while the news of Sarah's birthday rolled around in his head, as well as how to get in touch with Bella.

A sudden thought hit him and he stopped playing, the perfect idea coming to him. An almost sinister smile spread on his pale marble face as he turned to face the calendar once more. Sarah's birthday…It was sure to be a joyous occasion. And as her stepfather, he couldn't hold out on giving her the _perfect_ birthday gift. Standing from the grand piano, Edward walked upstairs to his room, heading for his laptop to buy a plane ticket to Forks, Washington with the plans to land on Sarah's birthday. If Bella didn't come home on her own, then he would make sure she came home, with or without her daughter.

* * *

As Edward went upstairs, Rosalie watched him go with a deep frown, his disturbing smile giving her a horrible feeling.


	17. Chapter 17

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 17

Billy hummed happily as he moved around his kitchen, plating up the last of the waffles he had made for Sarah's birthday breakfast. It was hard for him to believe his granddaughter had turned thirteen years old today. Then again, it was hard for him to believe that he hadn't known about her the first twelve years of her life. And though he resented Bella a bit for keeping her a secret from him, Charlie, and especially Jacob, he was grateful that she was able to give him such a precious grandchild. Sarah didn't hold any ill will towards her mother for keeping her away, and he shouldn't either, especially if Bella was doing it for Sarah's protection.

He grabbed the two plates he had made for them and set them on the table, as well as grabbing the two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice before calling, "Sarah, come and get it! Breakfast is on!"

Sarah came down the hallway and into the kitchen, smiling when Billy greeted her by singing a rather offkey version of the birthday song. However the smile fell from her face as a cramp ran through her pelvis. Seeing her grimace Billy asked, "What's wrong, Sarah?"

"Um, is mom here?" Sarah asked.

"No, she and your dad left early this morning. Why? Is something the matter?"

The new teenager fidgeted for a moment before finally saying, "I'm bleeding."

Billy shifted his head slightly and frowned. "Bleeding…where?"

"Um…between my legs…I think I've started my period for the first time."

Billy's russet colored skin turned bright red and his eyes widened comically before he said, "Oh! Oh wow, um, okay. Uh, how about you go and take a bath and I'll call Rachel. You know Rachel, right? I told you about her?"

"Yes, she's one of your twin daughters and daddy's older sister."

"Right, okay. I'm going to call her while you take a bath. She should be here by the time you get out."

Sarah nodded and hurried off to the bathroom, quickly shutting the door behind her and locking it. Billy sighed as he heard water running and rolled over to the phone on the wall, picking it up and dialing his daughter's number. The phone rang for a while until a deep voice answered, _"Hello?"_

"Morning Paul. Put Rachel on the phone; it's important."

He could hear Paul call Rachel to the phone and soon he heard his daughter's voice in the receiver saying, _"Good morning, dad. Don't worry, we're still coming to Sarah's bonfire birthday party."_

"That wasn't why I was calling, but thanks for the reassurance. I'm calling because Sarah has started her first menstrual cycle and Bella currently isn't here to help her."

 _"Don't worry about it, dad. I'll get a few things for her and be on my way shortly. I imagine you're freaking out right now about it."_

"Just a little. Your mother was the one to handle this when you and Rebecca started yours, and at the same time."

 _"Don't remind me, dad; that was an awful day. Just tell Sarah to sit tight, breathe, and I'll be there as quick as I can."_

Billy thanked Rachel and hung up the phone before moving down the hall towards the bathroom. He knocked on the closed door and relayed what Rachel had told him, to which Sarah thanked him for. He then rolled back down the hall to the living room and turned on the television for the time being. About fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door before it opened and Rachel stepped inside with a bag in her hand. She smiled at Billy and went to give her father a hug before asking where her niece was. Right when she asked that, Sarah stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body. She looked down the hall at Rachel and gave a small smile before saying, "Hi."

Rachel smiled at the young girl, mesmerized at how much she looked like not only her little brother, but her mother as well. Of course, she had met Sarah once or twice before, but it was still a shock to know she was Jacob's child with Bella. Either way, she loved her niece all the same. Walking down the hall to her she greeted, "Good morning, Sarah; happy birthday. Though, I'm sure you weren't expecting it to start off like this."

"No, not really. Mom told me to start expecting it to come at any time the moment I turned twelve, but I didn't think it would happen on my birthday."

"Yeah, periods suck that way. They always show up when you don't want them to. Let's go to the bedroom and I'll help you figure this out."

Sarah nodded. "Okay. Are those…you know…in the bag?"

"Yes, and it's nothing to be afraid of. Come on, now."

Billy watched as Sarah and Rachel disappeared into the twins' old bedroom and the door shut behind them. He sighed in relief as it did, as he had been silently freaking out while waiting for his daughter to show up. Five minutes later he heard a car pull up in front of the house and knew that it was Jacob and Bella returning. They walked inside the house, Bella carrying a cake box that she quickly moved to the kitchen to place in the refrigerator, greeting Billy as she did. Jacob was also holding a box in his hand, only this one was long with an envelope attached to it. That wouldn't have made Billy frown if it hadn't been for the frown on his son's face. And the look in his eyes, it was the same look he usually got when it came to dealing with anything concerning the Cullens; it was a look he knew well with Jacob.

Clearing his throat a bit Billy asked, "What's going on?"

Jacob placed the long box on the kitchen table and said, "It's a gift for Sarah."

"It's from Rosalie," Bella said as she turned away from the fridge. "I can tell from the writing on the card."

"Rosalie? The blonde Cullen female?" Billy asked.

"Yeah, her. She loves Sarah and Sarah loves her, so it's no surprise to me that she sent her something for her birthday. But…" Bella trailed off and looked at her boyfriend, taking in his tense jaw. "…but Jake doesn't like that she was able to send her something to this address."

Bella looked at Jacob and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "It's a harmless gift Jake, and it's for Sarah. Please don't be upset on our daughter's birthday. It's the first one you two will have together; don't ruin it by being angry."

Jacob looked down at the brunette he loved before sighing and closing his eyes. Taking a deep breath he said, "You're right, Bells. This is Sarah's special day and I can't be upset if Blondie sends her a gift out of love."

Bella smiled and stood on her toes to give the man a sweet kiss before saying, "Thank you. Besides, she'll love your gift the most anyway."

"Damn right, she will."

The two of them laughed and Billy rolled his eyes, shaking his head at them. A moment later Rachel walked down the hall and into the kitchen with the others, greeting Bella and giving her younger brother a hug. Not long after, Sarah walked into sight dressed in dark denim jeans and a pretty pink blouse with yellow and blue flowers. Her hair was done up neatly in two buns braided from the back and a few tendrils framing her face, and on her feet she wore white Converse high-tops. Seeing her parents she grinned and rushed over to hug them.

"Mom! Dad!" Sarah said happily.

Jacob grinned and hugged the young teen saying, "Sarah, happy birthday."

Bella hugged her child to her tightly and greeted, "Happy birthday, baby. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up, but I had to finish a few things."

"It's okay, though I wish you were here when I woke up."

"Really?"

"Yeah, because…well…"

A bright blush appeared on the girl's face and Rachel cleared her throat, bringing Bella's attention towards her. Rachel pointed to her own pelvis and held up a single finger, giving the other woman a knowing look. Chocolate brown eyes widened, and Bella looked back down at her daughter. "Oh, I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you when you needed me. Are you alright?"

Sarah nodded. "Yep, I'm okay. Aunt Rachel helped me figure things out."

"That's good." Bella looked up at Rachel. "Thank you, Rachel."

"No problem, Bella. I know dad wouldn't have been any help anyhow," Rachel said in a joking manner.

Jacob frowned in confusion and looked at his dad, only to see that older man looked rather uncomfortable. Lowering his voice to speak to his father he asked, "What happened this morning while we were gone?"

Billy looked at his son for a moment before finally answering, "Sarah has now become a young woman, and not because she's thirteen now."

Father and son stared at each other in silence for a moment before realization dawned on Jacob. Sarah was having her first menstrual cycle! Looking back at his daughter he saw her seated at the table, ready to dig into the breakfast Billy had made for her, all smiles and everything. He couldn't believe she was having her first period, and on her birthday. Then again, he supposed it had to happen at some point. He was grateful his sister was able to take over for Bella, considering how uncomfortable Billy was. Hell, even he was uncomfortable just thinking about it. But this also signified Sarah turning into a young woman, meaning he'd have to keep boys away from his daughter; he'd even beat them if he had to. And he needed to have a talk with Seth as well. The younger man was his brother and he loved him, but he wouldn't hesitate to beat the brakes off of him if he had to.

Sarah looked up at her dad and said, "Come on and eat, daddy. Grandpa made enough for everyone."

Bella smiled and looked at Rachel, asking her if she was going to stay as well. Rachel thanked her for asking but declined, stating she had to go back home and kick Paul's butt into gear to be ready for tonight. Bidding everyone 'farewell' for now, Rachel left and Bella, Billy, Sarah, and Jacob all enjoyed a lovely breakfast together. Sarah, having seen the present Rosalie had sent her, wanted to open it right away but was convinced to do so later. As she looked at the box and the envelope attached, Sarah's chocolate brown eyes widened as she realized there were _two_ envelopes. There was one for her, and one for her mother.

"Hey mom, there's an envelope for you attached," Sarah told her, taking it from the box and handing it to the brunette.

Frowning in confusion, Bella took the envelope and looked at her name neatly written by Rosalie. Wondering what the blonde vampire was writing her for, she excused herself and walked to the room she and Sarah were occupying, opening the envelope, Bella pulled out a letter and began to read, her stomach dropping as she did.

 _Bella,_

 _I don't mean to bring bad news on this day when it should be full of joy celebrating Sarah's thirteenth birthday. However, I must inform you of something I believe may happen soon._

 _I think Edward is planning something and may be on his way to Forks, if not already there. I caught him ordering a plane ticket to go there four days ago. Unfortunately, I have no idea what he has planned, but I wouldn't put it past him to do something stupid and life-threatening towards you and Sarah. I hope this letter reaches you in time before Edward shows up, whenever he will. And trust me, he will._

 _Please keep your guard up and inform Jacob as well. I don't want anything to happen to you or Sarah because of that idiot I have to call a brother. Again, please be cautious, but also try and enjoy your daughter's special day._

 _With love,_

 _Rosalie_

Bella's hands trembled as she read and reread the letter, not realizing her breath was coming out in quick pants. She was having a panic attack and she didn't realize that Jacob had walked into the room until she felt him gently take her face into his hands and call her name.

"Bella," Jacob called. "Bella, are you alright?"

"J-Jake," Bella gasped out as she looked up at him. Tears filled her eyes and she whispered, "Edward is coming."

Jacob stared incredulously at Bella before taking notice of the piece of paper in her hand. Taking it from her, he read it once very clearly before looking back at the brunette. In a low voice he asked, "That asshole is coming back here? He may even already be here?"

All Bella could do was nod, her entire frame shaking in fear as she did.

Closing his eyes, Jacob took a deep breath and nodded before saying, "Then we'll be ready for him. That bloodsucker is obviously looking for a fight. And if he wants one, he's got one."

"Jake, no. I don't want you and the Pack getting hurt, because I know you're going to involve them."

"Bella, he's coming and it's obvious he's after you and Sarah, especially you. He's threatening you and my daughter; he's threatening a Pack member's Imprint. We can't take this lightly. I'm glad that Blondie gave us a warning. Preparing will be tight on time, but we can be ready."

Bella bit her lip uncertainly before saying, "Only if you're sure."

Jacob took Bella in his arms and kissed her deeply before saying, "I'm sure. I'll protect you and Sarah, no matter what. I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too."

The two of them stood there hugging, wrapped in each other's arms as Rosalie's news weighed heavily on their minds. Today was supposed to be a wonderful day, and yet Edward Cullen had found a way to ruin it in the worst way possible. However, they couldn't allow for Sarah to know something was amiss. For now, it was best to handle everything privately in the hopes of taking care of Edward if he showed up. And like Rosalie had written, he would surely show his face, probably sooner than they would like.


	18. Chapter 18

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 18

Edward walked into the home that he hadn't been in for the past thirteen years, looking around at the settled dust in the bare house. Stepping into the foyer and looking around, his mind passed through memories, many of which were good with a mix of bad. The last good memory he had in this house was marrying the love of his life, Bella. They had both been so happy on that day, and though a damper was put on it in the form of Jacob Black and his ridiculous outburst, it had been pleasant. But after that, everything went downhill.

Bella found out she was pregnant, meaning he found out about her infidelity with Black. He tried to convince her that Jacob had taken advantage of her and her frought emotions, but she had been adamant that it wasn't Jacob that had initiated them having sex, but rather her. And though he couldn't bear it, he could see that she was telling the truth, that it had been her to make the first move which led to her pregnancy. He had been very irritated that the wolf had a part of his wife that he hadn't had, and still had yet to have. Even after the birth of Sarah, Bella still would not let him touch her, considering she had so wanted to before their wedding. Not only that, Sarah was afraid of and wanted nothing to do with him, even from when she was an infant. She should love him, he was the only father figure she had present. And yet she had been attached to someone she only knew through stories of her mother and then had the gall to go meet him herself with the help of Rosalie. This blatant action—obviously a trait from her no-good father—prompted Bella to run after her. And though he had made it plain to her that she was to retrieve Sarah and return, Bella had not done that. It was obvious she had stayed and in his opinion, overstayed her welcome. It was time for his wife to come home, and that was why he was back in this wretched, little town of Forks, Washington.

Making his way up the stairs to his old bedroom, Edward looked around before looking at the bed that he had bought for Bella. Placing the unneeded suitcase he had brought down on the floor, he looked upon the dust covered sheets before snatching them off and cracking them in the air, getting the dust off of it. After placing it back on the bed he nodded before looking around his old room again.

"I need to get this place ready," Edward murmured before leaving the room and heading back down the stairs. An almost sinister smile spread on his pale lips as he continued talking to himself. "Bella will be most surprised and will have no choice but to return to Colorado with me."

He paused for a moment, remembering what day it was. It was Sarah's thirteenth birthday. "Ah, yes, Sarah…she will have a most _wonderful_ present as well. After all, if she wanted Jacob Black as her father, then so be it. But Bella is and will always be mine. And I will no longer share her with that little brat."

With his preparations in mind, Edward headed out of the house to the rental car he had rented and got inside of it, quickly heading to Port Angeles while he still had some time. And as he drove, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the thought of his beautiful wife's face at seeing him again after all these months.

* * *

A few hours later at around six-thirty, Sarah was being lead blindly by her parents to her surprise birthday party. Of course, she didn't know that was where she was headed, but she did like surprises, something completely different from her mother who hated them. Eyes closed behind her blindfold she asked, "Are we there yet?"

Bella giggled and answered, "No, not yet, Sarah. But we're almost there."

"Is that why we had to drive?"

"Yes."

Jacob smiled down at Sarah as he held her hand before saying, "This will be the best birthday you've ever had, kid. And we're just going to let you let loose."

Bella looked at her lover and said, "Well, not completely. Just enough to let her have fun."

"I'm sure to have fun anyway, mommy," Sarah said, a bright grin on her face.

Jacob and Bella laughed at their daughter before finally stopping having reached their destination.

Looking at each other Jacob and Bella both nodded before saying together, "Okay, one…two…three!"

Jacob yanked the blindfold off his daughter's eyes, and Sarah jumped in surprise as a loud chorus of 'Surprise!' was shouted. Chocolate brown eyes were wide as she took in everyone that was present around a large bonfire, as well as large amounts of food and drink that was there as well. She could see both of her grandfathers, her aunt and Paul, Angela and Embry, Sam and Leah, Seth, and many others. She smiled at everyone and grinned brighter when they all exclaimed, "Happy Birthday, Sarah!"

Bella bent down to be eyelevel with Sarah and said, "I know it's different from what you usually get, but we thought you'd be happy."

"I love it!" Sarah exclaimed happily. She then turned and hugged her mother tightly saying, "Thank you, mom!" The dark-haired girl let go of Bella and gave her father the same love.

Jacob smiled and looked down at Sarah who was looking up at him with shining eyes. He then noticed that her eyes were shining with tears. A little concerned at the tears standing in Sarah's eyes, Jacob bent down to her and asked, "What's the matter, Sarah?"

Sarah blinked and wiped away the tears that had sprung up in her eyes before grinning at her father and answering, "I'm just so happy, that's all. I…I never thought that I'd be able to spend a birthday with you and the rest of the family that I didn't know. But so much has changed in the few months we've been here and I get to have my first birthday with you and a place where that actually feels like home. I'm just so happy." More tears sprung up in Sarah's eyes and she hugged Jacob again, burying her face in his warm neck. "I love you, daddy. I always have."

Tears began to well up in Jacob's eyes as well and he hugged Sarah tightly to him, replying with his voice full of emotion, "I love you too, Sarah. Even when I didn't know you, I did."

Everyone was silent during this moment, watching the exchange with soft smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes, at least for Charlie and Billy. Bella too was silently crying as she watched her lover and daughter have this moment. Wiping her tears she bent down and hugged the two most important people in her life, wondering how she could have been so foolish to not have had this from the beginning. It didn't matter now; everything was perfect.

Knowing it was time to get the birthday party underway, Bella gave both Sarah and Jacob kisses on their cheeks before standing back upright. Getting her bearings and wiping her face clean of her tears, she cleared her throat and looked at their guests before saying, "Alright, everyone. It's Sarah's thirteenth birthday, one of many special birthdays to come."

"So lets make this night a special one to remember!" Jacob shouted, laughing when his Pack erupted into howls, even Sam giving off one after so many years. Standing up he led Sarah into the crowd of their family and friends, everyone wishing Sarah a 'happy birthday' and giving her hugs; even Paul gave Sarah a little half hug.

Jacob turned back to Bella and saw her standing there with a happy smile on her face as she watched their daughter enjoy her birthday for the first time in a long time. Walking over to the love of his life, Jacob wrapped his arms around Bella and held her close, Bella instantly relaxing in his embrace. They didn't say anything, didn't have to. They both knew and felt that this night was a special one for Sarah. Unfortunately, this also caused them to forget about Rosalie's warning in her note about Edward.

* * *

Two hours later after much eating and dancing and talking, Billy announced that it was time to sit around the bonfire and for Sarah to receive her birthday gifts. He patted the empty chair next to him that was sat in between him and Seth, indicating for his granddaughter to sit there. As Sarah grinned and took a seat, Billy looked around the bonfire and said, "It's time to give Sarah her gifts. Who wants to do the honors of giving the first gift tonight?"

"Allow me to have that honor, Billy Black," a smooth, chilling voice suddenly spoke from the shadows.

A shiver ran down Bella's spine and she quickly turned around, gasping as Edward Cullen stepped out of the shadows surrounding the bonfire. Jacob quickly stood up and growled at the sight of the leech, the rest of the Pack doing so as well, including Sam and Leah. Seth moved in front of Sarah, growling at Edward as Sarah looked absolutely bewildered at the fact that not only her step-father was suddenly present, but that her father, Seth, Embry, and others were making rather animalistic growls, like that of a dog or wolf.

Edward looked over the crowd in front of him, his golden eyes glinting in the firelight in a way that didn't sit right with any of them. Charlie scowled at his—unfortunately—son-in-law and stood up asking, "What the hell are you doing here?" Charlie frowned further seeing that it seemed like the man hasn't aged a day since the last time he saw him.

Bella grabbed Jacob's hand and held it tightly as Edward chuckled in amusement, stepping out of the shadows and towards them as he said, "I'm here for my family, of course. More specifically, I'm here for my wife."

"Fuck no!" Jacob hissed. "You're not taking Bella, or Sarah!"

Edward stared at the man he has despised for the past thirteen years before looking past him towards Sarah. The little girl was looking at him in shock and fear, her hand reached up to grip Seth's shirt tightly while seeking comfort from him and his protective stance. He found it interesting how attached she was to the Shifter, considering she didn't even know what he was or that he had Imprinted on her. Turning his attention back to Jacob he gave him a patronizing smile before saying, "But as I recall, I've already taken Bella. She chose to marry me, after all. She is my wife and we haven't divorced."

"That's because you won't let her!"

"Is that what she's told you?"

"I told him," Sarah spoke up.

Edward's eye twitched at the young teen before saying, "Stay out of this, Sarah. You know nothing of the matter of adults."

Sarah glowered at him and retorted, "I know you won't let mom divorce you for some reason when its obvious she wants to leave."

"Sarah," Bella said, silently asking her daughter to reman quiet for now. Looking back towards Edward she asked, "What is it that you want, Edward?"

"I think you know what it is, Bella. After all, I only allowed you to come back to this godforsaken place to get Sarah and return to Colorado. And what do I find instead?" Edward turned to look at everyone once again with hatred and disdain. "I find that you not only have disobeyed me, but you have cut off all forms of contact for me to reach you, as well as decided to live here." His eyes bared pure hatred as they landed on Jacob. "As well as shack up with Jacob Black, proving yourself unfaithful to me once again."

Jacob moved as if to lunge at Edward, but Bella held him back by squeezing his hand and placing a hand on his chest. Forcing himself not to phase Jacob growled out, "Your marriage to Bella has been over for years. What are you so pathetically holding onto? She doesn't love you anymore and hasn't for years. What do you gain from this?"

Edward snarled at him before quickly moving in front of him, his action surprising those present as they all knew Sarah was not aware of Edward's true nature. Sarah herself blinked in surprise and confusion at seeing her stepfather move from the edge of the shadows to standing in front of her father in a second. Glaring up at Jacob Edward said, "I've had enough of you and your stalling. I'm taking Bella back with me tonight, and there's nothing you can do about it."

With that said Edward roughly pushed Jacob, causing him to fly back into the nearby wooded area and out of sight. At that action, the Pack no longer was holding back and all phased on the spot, seven mighty wolves standing before moving towards Edward. Sarah gasped in shock as she witnessed Embry, Quil, Jared, Paul, Collin, Brady, and Seth turn into giant wolves. She stared in disbelief as she realized that Seth had turned into the giant wolf she had befriended. Another growl met her ears and she turned to see the giant russet wolf she had met emerge from where her father had disappeared from, running and jumping at Edward who was quickly evading them.

Suddenly the stories Billy had told her ran through her head, the old Quileute legends about the Cold Ones and the wolf Shifters. Though she thought it was just legends and wasn't real, what she was witnessing made it clear to her that it wasn't. The wolf Shifters were real! They did exist! And the way her stepfather was moving around, it was obvious he was a Cold One, a vampire. He and his family were vampires! Her mother had married a vampire! Sarah looked at Billy anxiously before looking for her mother in all the chaos. Spotting her she saw her moving through the fray towards Charlie who was looking just as bewildered and made her way towards them.

Reaching them she yelled, "Mom!"

"Sarah!" Bella exclaimed and held her daughter to her. Looking up at her own father she said, "Dad, we have to go!"

Charlie looked down at Bella and asked, "What the hell is going on?" He then turned to his best friend and asked louder, "What the hell is going on?!"

Before Billy or Bella could answer, the sound of a wolf's whimper reached their ears. Turning they looked in horror at Edward kicking Seth in his ribs, causing the sandy wolf to fly back and roll several feet on the ground. Seeing the vampire hurt her best friend, Sarah cried out, "Sethy!"

Sarah took off running towards the fight between Edward and the Pack, ignoring Bella's cry of her name and for her to come back. All she could focus on was getting to where Seth was lying hurt. However before she could reach him, she was suddenly grabbed by her arm and held in an icy grip, a cold hand wrapped around her neck but not squeezing. Gasping she struggled but held still as Edward applied pressure to her neck. Sarah remembered the stories her grandfather had told her about the Cold Ones, and knew her stepfather could kill her instantly with a twist of his hand. She looked up at Edward into his amber eyes and found herself feeling more afraid than she ever had before.

Bella, who had ran after Sarah, stopped at seeing Edward grab her daughter and hold her by her arm and neck. Gasping in horror she yelled, "Edward, no! Not my baby!"

Jacob growled at Edward and moved to charge him, but stopped when Edward held Sarah's arm out and pressed his finger into her wrist, instantly snapping it. Sarah screamed in pain as she tried to jerk her arm away, her scream stopping Jacob and causing Bella to start crying. Looking at the vampire that she regretted to call her husband, Bella asked, "Why?"

Edward gave the brunette a strange look before saying simply, "It's time for you to come home, Bella. And when we leave this time, we won't be coming back. _You_ won't ever be returning to Forks or La Push and will having _nothing_ to do with the wretches that live here. Now, you will come with me and we leave for Colorado right now, or I will harm Sarah more."

"No Bella, he's bluffing!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Oh, I never bluff, Chief Swan." Edward chuckled darkly as he turned back to face Bella. "So what will it be, love?"

Bella didn't answer, her tears flowing over onto her cheeks and down her face. She looked from him to Sarah who was silently crying and trembling in his grip. Swallowing roughly she asked, "What about Sarah?"

"I don't want her, I never did. I just want you, Bella. But I will promise you this: I won't harm Sarah if you come with me. In fact, she can stay here with the family she so wants to be with. Of course, you will never see her again, but at least she will be alive. Though, I can't say she'll be safe with the volatile wolf she calls a father, but she will be alive. It's your choice Bella, make it."

Not knowing what to do, Bella looked from him to Sarah, then to Jacob who was shaking his wolfy head to everyone else present, waiting with baited breaths for Bella's decision. For Bella, she didn't see a way out of this. If she refused, Edward would kill Sarah and who knows else. But if she agreed, she would never see her daughter again; not only Sarah, but she wouldn't see Jacob, the man she was in love with and should've been with from the beginning, ever again. It was such a hard decision for her, but she already knew what she was going to do.

Closing her eyes, Bella bit her lip to keep the sob that was threatening to escape inside as she felt her heart breaking in her chest. Opening the chocolate brown eyes that were spilling tears, she looked into Edward's golden ones and finally said, "Okay…okay. I'll go."


	19. Chapter 19

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 19

"Okay…okay, I'll go."

Edward grinned in triumph before saying, "I knew you would, my love."

Bella wiped her tears before saying, "At least let me say 'goodbye' to Sarah first before you take me away."

The vampire looked like he didn't want to allow that, but he also knew that he had ultimately won. He had gotten Bella back, even if it had taken some persuasion, and they would live happily together forever with no interferences anymore. Yes, Bella was hurt by his actions now, but she would thank him later. But he supposed he could allow her to bid her offspring 'goodbye' before leaving with her. Sighing he said, "Fine, but just make it quick. We have a flight to catch."

Sarah felt Edward loosen his grip on her before shoving her forcefully forward. Losing her footing Sarah was sure she'd hit the ground from her wretched stepfather pushing her, but she luckily caught against a large furry body. Looking at the wolf that had caught her, tears fell down her face as she said quietly, "Sethy."

Seth whined and nuzzled the teen, trying his hardest to comfort her. Sarah however was soon taken from Seth by her mother, the brunette checking her over. With worried eyes Bella asked, "Are you alright, Sarah?"

Sarah sniffled before answering, "Yeah, I'm okay. My wrist, mom…"

Bella shushed her and took a hold of her wrist gently, apologizing when Sarah hissed from her touching it. She couldn't believe that Edward would be so cruel as to hurt her daughter, to manipulate her into going with him by bringing harm to Sarah. Gently lifting her wrist, Bella placed a soft kiss on it before hugging Sarah to her. Holding her tightly she whispered, "I'm so sorry, Sarah. I'm so sorry that I can't be the mom you need me to be."

"But you are," Sarah replied.

"I can't even protect you from Edward unless I give you up. What kind of mother does that make me?" Bella gave Sarah a watery smile as tears stood in her eyes. "But never forget that I love you, and that you are the best thing to have ever happened to me in my pathetic life."

More tears filled Sarah's eyes. "Mom…"

Bella kissed her daughter's forehead and hugged her tightly once more before saying, "Goodbye Sarah, I love you."

Turning away from Sarah Bella looked at Jacob, him still standing there in his wolf form. She walked over to him and looked up into his big brown eyes. The tears that had been standing in her eyes spilt over onto her cheeks as she looked into Jacob's eyes, seeing the pain and love reflected in them. She opened her mouth to speak but a sob escaped her throat instead. Through her sobs she got out, "I'm so sorry, Jake."

Hating to see Bella cry, Jacob rested her large head onto her shoulder, allowing the brunette to grasp his fur as she cried. He nuzzled her and let out a soft whine, him telling her that she didn't have to go, that he didn't want her to. Pulling away Bella gave him a sad, pained smile before saying, "I have to go, Jake. I don't have a choice. Promise me that you'll take care of Sarah for me. Please, promise me."

Jacob didn't give any sort of reply right off to her request, but his big wolfy frame soon sagged and he nodded. Smiling at him Bella hugged him, melding herself into his furry body. In a soft voice she said, "I love you so much, Jacob Ephraim Black. I always have and will and coming back here to you was the best decision I ever made. I love you and will never forget you, no matter what. You have my heart, forever."

Large tears filled Jacob's eyes before he closed them, seemingly hugging Bella back. All too soon their moment was over and she soon backed away from them. Through her tears she said in defeat, yet her voice still full of love for him, "Goodbye Jake."

Knowing it wouldn't do good to keep Edward waiting, Bella turned and walked over to where the vampire was waiting impatiently. Stopping in front of him she looked at him dejectedly before saying, "Alright, I'm ready."

Edward nodded in approval before saying, "Excellent. I knew you would see things my way. Now, let us go back home my love. Our flight leaves in an hour."

No longer waiting Edward grabbed his wife and threw her over his shoulder before taking off, doing so right before Jacob could try and pounce. Jacob huffed before letting out a pained howl. Sarah, who had been crying since her mother said 'goodbye' to her, ran to her father and cried desperately, "Dad, we have to do something! We have to get mom back!"

Jacob looked at the distressed face of his daughter before looking towards Seth, the two of them sharing a mental talk. Seth soon nodded and walked over Sarah and gentle nudged her before indicating that he wanted her to climb onto his back. Sarah stared at Seth for a moment before nodding, watching as her best friend crouched down for her to climb onto his back. Before she did though, she looked back at her father and once again said, "We have to get mom back. He can't take her.

Knowing he'd have to phase back in order to talk to his daughter, Jacob did so and stood back on his two legs. He knew he was naked, but Sarah wasn't seeming to care right at the moment, nor was anyone for that matter, not after what had just transpired. Placing his hands on her shoulders he looked into the chocolate brown eyes so much like his love's and promised, "And we _will_ get her back, I can promise you that. I'm not going to let him ruin our family again."

He then turned to Seth. "Take her back home, Seth. Keep her safe there."

"No daddy, I want to go with you! I want to go with you to save mom!" Sarah cried.

"No Sarah, it's too dangerous. Listen, I understand that this is all a lot to take in, to see that some legends are actually true and that your stepfather and father are a type of monster feared by normal people, but trust me when I say that I will keep you safe. Me, Seth, the entire Pack; we're a family and we protect our own. And we will get your mother back, even if I have to kill that leech."

"But what if you get hurt? What then?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry." Jacob hugged Sarah before picking her up and placing her on Seth's back. Seth looked at his Alpha and nodded before turning and running off into the woods towards the Black residence, Sarah holding on tightly. When they disappeared into the woods, Jacob walked over to where his father and Charlie were standing. Looking at Charlie he said, "Charlie, I'm sorry you had to find out about this this way, and I know you have a lot of questions. But for now, I need you to go with dad back home and stay there as well."

Charlie looked incensed at Jacob's words. "The hell I will! That son of a bitch just kidnapped my daughter and hurt my granddaughter! I'm going with you to pump his ass full of lead!"

Billy shook his head before saying, "Bullets won't do anything to him, chief. It will feel like the equivalent of a tickle to him."

"I can't just sit around and do nothing, Billy! I know I don't have all the details about how Bella is involved in all this, but I'm not letting him take her from me again, not after finally getting her back after all these years."

Sam walked over with Leah beside him, him holding tightly to her hand. Looking at Jacob he said, "It might help for Charlie to go, Jake. Cullen knew he could reveal himself here with no consequences and get away with what he did because everyone here knows about the Cold Ones and spirit wolves."

Leah nodded and said, "But if you take Charlie and confront him at the airport, he won't be able to do anything, not without exposing himself. Your best bet is trying to stop them at the airport."

"I'll even get my fellow policemen to accompany me to arrest him for kidnapping Bella," Charlie inputted.

Jacob looked conflicted for a moment before finally saying, "Alright, fine. Just be careful going about it, Charlie. All Cold Ones are cunning and conniving, so don't put it past him to do something sneaky."

Charlie nodded before running off to his cruiser, hopping in and quickly peeling away. Billy looked at Sue and asked her to take him home to join Seth and Sarah, Sue agreeing and pushing him back towards her own car. Jacob looked back at Sam and said, "I don't expect you to join us, considering you haven't phased in years." He then looked at Leah. "Nor do I expect you to try, either."

Leah shook her head and replied, "I won't, I'm not physically able to right now. I'll join Seth in watching out for Sarah."

Sam stood in deep thought for a moment before saying, "Sarah is family, and we protect our own. I'll go, but I'm not sure I have it in me anymore."

Jacob placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "The wolf is as strong as its pack, Sam. And you have a strong Pack."

Sam smiled and placed his own hand on Jacob's shoulder before nodding. Jacob smiled at him before turning to the rest of the awaiting Pack. In a voice full of authority he said, "Edward Cullen has trespassed on our lands, completely disregarding the treaty that has been in place for decades. He harmed my child and kidnapped Bella, and my wolf isn't having it. I'm sure none of yours is either. Tonight, we go and get Bella back and destroy Edward Cullen and his entire existence."

The Pack howled in response to their Alpha's words. Jacob nodded and said, "Go home and get clothes, and then meet at my place before we head to the airport. That leech's immortality is now numbered."

The wolves didn't need telling twice and took off, those with partners allowing them to climb on their backs before taking off. Sam and Leah hurried to Jacob's car, Jacob allowing them to take it before phasing himself and running to his home. As he ran he could only think of one thing, and that was to get his precious honey back. Not only that, but he couldn't wait to burn Cullen down to ashes. This was a long time coming to him and he was finally going to get what he deserved, for old and new.

* * *

Bella felt sick by the time Edward finally stopped and placed her on her feet. Though her head was spinning, it didn't take her long to realize where she was. She was back inside of the Cullen mansion, not having seen it in thirteen years. She remembered thinking how wonderful it had been as a teenager, but now it was like some sort of tomb to her. It was cold and dark and empty for the most part, no longer warm and welcoming as it once had been.

Edward saw the brunette looking around and wrapped a cold arm around her, ignoring her flinching away from him. With a smooth voice and loving smile he said, "Welcome back to your first home, my love."

"This isn't my home," Bella retorted.

"Of course, it is. It was here that we married and formed so many precious memories. Don't you wish to rekindle some of that magic that we've lost over the years?"

"No."

Edward frowned at his wife before pulling her closer, making sure she wouldn't be able to pull away from him. Looking into her eyes he frowned further at seeing the hate and fear directed towards him in her eyes. In confusion he asked, "Why do you pretend to hate me so? Has that filthy dog Black warped your mind about me?"

Bella pushed herself away from Edward, or at least tried to, before yelling, "He didn't! I've always felt this away about you! I always have ever since realizing how wrong I was! And I'm angry that my stupid actions have caused the people I love nothing but pain, pain that you continue to add on to! And I can't believe you hurt Sarah! You claim to love me, but hate her and even broke her wrist in front of me! I'll never forgive you for hurting my child, never! I hate you, Edward! I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!"

Edward looked as if he had been assaulted by Bella's passionate declaration of hate for him. He looked momentarily wounded, hurt by her words, but he soon schooled his expression. His eyes however, they flickered with something that had Bella's heart stop in her chest. Closing his eyes briefly, he opened them before asking calmly, "Is that how you really feel, my love?"

There was a moment of silence before Bella answered in all seriousness, "Yes."

The vampire snarled before stalking off to the opposite side of the room. He paced a bit before punching the wall, the action causing Bella to jump as a large hole appeared in the wall from the impact. He then turned around and stalked back to Bella, her backing away in fear until her back hit the wall. Getting in her face he said sinisterly, "I don't care if you hate me, but you are and will always be mine, Isabella. You belong to me and no one, _especially_ Jacob Black, will take you from me. You promised me forever, and I intend to make sure you keep your promise. In fact, I'll make sure you have no choice but to keep it."

"What are you going to do?" Bella asked, her voice shaking in fear. Even as she asked that question, she already knew the answer.

Edward smirked at her before answering, "I'm taking you back to the Volturi."

* * *

The moment Seth arrived at the Black house, Sarah jumped from his back and ran inside to the room she shared with her mother. She grabbed her bag and began to throw clothes in it, as well as her phone and charger. Anything she could fit into it, she put in there. Seth, who had stopped by Jacob's room to grab a pair of jeans to cover his nakedness, walked into Sarah's bedroom before asking, "What are you doing?"

"Packing a bag to go to the airport. I'm going to go after mom whether dad likes it or not."

Seth gently stopped Sarah before saying, "Sarah, your dad and I and the rest of the Pack are going to get Bella back. You have to trust us that we can."

"But I do! I'm not doubting you, but I need to be there!"

"Sarah, your dad will kill me if I let you go, and I'll never forgive myself if you get hurt. Besides, your wrist is broken. Let me wrap it for you."

Sarah frowned and looked down at her wrist that was broken. She bent it back and forth for a moment, noticing that it no longer hurt. In fact, it wasn't even numb or swollen. Looking back up at Seth she said, "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"What?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore. It's almost like it wasn't even broken."

Seth took her wrist and felt along it, noticing that the bone was set back in place. Sarah's broken wrist had healed itself, but how? Unless…Looking at his Imprint Seth said, "You have some Shifter DNA in you, Sarah. And I think it's starting to show."


	20. Chapter 20

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 20

Charlie watched as his entire police department were going to their police cars, others checking to make sure they had their guns and that they were loaded. His trusted and loyal deputy Mark walked over to him and said, "We're ready when you are, Chief."

Nodding in response Charlie said, "Good. Then let's hurry to the airport to cut the little prick off from flying away with Bella."

Mark nodded and climbed into the police cruiser with Charlie, Charlie flicking on the lights and siren before peeling out of the parking lot of the police department, the other policemen doing the same in their own respective cars. As they sped to the airport, Mark looked at Charlie and asked, "Can I ask you something, Chief? You know, if it's not too personal?"

"What is it?"

"It's just that…your daughter married Cullen to begin with, and it was obvious that they loved each other. Why would he result to kidnapping her when she was only here to visit?"

Charlie's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Because she wasn't visiting. Bella moved back here with her daughter to escape that controlling son of a bitch. She's wanted to divorce him for a while now and he won't do it. She's escaped out from under his thumb and he didn't like it, so he came back all this way to take her back by force, even threatening to kill my granddaughter if she didn't go with him."

Mark's eyes widened in surprise. "Why would he threaten to kill his child?"

"Because she's not his. Her father is someone he's hated for years, someone he fought tooth and nail with for Bella's affections. He hates him and despises Bella's child because of who her father is. He could care less for her or who he hurts, so long as he has my kiddo."

Understanding the situation now, Mark said, "Don't worry, Charlie. We're going to get Bella back, and arrest that asshole for old and new. I've never liked him and his family either, so this is a long time coming in some form or fashion, I'm sure."

Charlie nodded as he continued to drive, pleased that his deputy was on his side. Of course, he couldn't tell him what he had actually witnessed not too long ago, or that arresting Cullen was easier said than done, but that didn't matter at the moment. So long as he could blindside him at the airport, he wouldn't be able to fly off with Bella.

* * *

Alice gripped her head at the vision she was having. Jasper wrapped his arm around her comfortingly before saying, "We're landing soon, Alice. We'll be able to stop this before it gets worse."

"I hope so, but Charlie is going to cause a scene, and they'll already be there and waiting by the time we land," Alice told him in return.

Rosalie scoffed and said, "The golden boy is more trouble than he is worth, but no one chooses to see it. Now he's sure to get us all killed if things go any more south than they already have."

Alice looked across the aisle at her sister and scowled at her. "This wouldn't be happening if you hadn't sent Sarah off to Forks causing Bella to go after her. You know how Edward feels about Bella meeting back up with Jacob Black."

"And _you_ know how much Bella has wanted out of her sham marriage and how much Sarah wanted to know her real father. But it goes against Edward's wants and thus you make sure it didn't happen. For once in the past thirteen years, Bella was finally happy, as was Sarah, and you and Edward have both ruined it, Edward more so. So excuse me if I wanted them to have a happy and normal life, but I won't apologize for it."

"Edward's death will surely happen when this is all over!" Alice hissed.

"Good. Maybe we'll all get some peace in our damned lives."

"That's enough," Carlisle's voice spoke up. He looked at his mate Esme who was looking at him with a worried expression. He let out an unnecessary sigh before saying softly, "I believe I let things go too far concerning Edward and Bella."

Esme frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean returning to Forks after she saved him from Volterra. I believed my hands were tied knowing that Aro wanted her turned, and thus went against my son's wishes to keep her human. He then manipulated Bella into marrying him with the promise to turn her into a vampire."

"He didn't manipulate her."

"Didn't he? I noticed it but didn't want to believe it at the time, but I think Edward has always manipulated Bella. Everything she went through because of us, was because of him. It was as if he was making sure she always had reason to never leave him and used Alice to help keep them together. His only obstacle throughout it all, and a rather large one at that, was Jacob Black. Jacob Black has always loved Bella, and Bella loved him as well, but always fought her feelings because of Edward, particularly when we returned to Forks and she and Edward picked up their relationship. I think during this time, Edward noticed Bella's wavering feelings and would have her reassert them for him whenever it suited him." Carlisle sighed again. "He understood that Bella's feelings for Jacob were greater than she let on, probably more so than she herself realized, and he made sure there would be no chance for Jacob to have Bella and that Bella would always remain faithful to him."

Esme hated to think that way about her son, but Carlisle did have a point. Edward had pulled the strings a lot in concerns to Bella, going all the way back to James hunting down Bella. It had been Edward's idea to flee Forks altogether to escape the tracker. It had been his idea to leave Forks when Jasper had attempted to attack Bella at her birthday party. It had been his idea to hide Bella up in the mountains during a snow storm the night before the newborn attack, along with Alice's persistence. It had been his idea to change Bella, but only if she agreed to marry him. And it had been his idea to move away from Forks after they were married. But not only that, Edward seemed to manipulate Bella a lot against certain wishes of her to get what he wanted. He manipulated her into going to prom, knowing she hadn't wanted to according to Rosalie. Jasper had told her as they prepared Bella's birthday party that Bella hadn't wanted a party, but Alice and Edward planned one anyway and that he himself had manipulated her emotions to get her to agree, but only at Alice's request. She didn't know if there was any more that Edward had done to manipulate Bella, but it was obvious that he had and probably always had over the years. And he had manipulated Bella concerning Sarah, threatening Sarah to keep Bella with him, all the while knowing she wanted out of their marriage. Esme didn't want to believe it, didn't want to admit it, but when it came down to it, Edward was the common denominator to all of theirs and Bella's problems. Now this time, he had gone too far and too many people were involved.

Before long they were landing, and the Cullens quickly departed the plane to the terminal to quickly exit in hopes of stopping Charlie from creating a scene. However, the moment they exited into the airport, they saw several policemen waiting, surrounding the terminal to board the plane heading for Colorado. Spotting Charlie, Carlisle walked over to him and said, "Chief Swan, please don't do this."

Charlie glared at the vampire and hissed, "I've had enough of you and your family, especially that asshole you call a son. He's gone too far this time, Dr. Cullen."

"I understand, but please let us handle this."

"Oh? Like you handled everything else in the past? I always knew you all weren't good to be around Bella, but I let it slide when she insisted she was fine and perfectly safe with you all, even though I knew she wasn't. Now look where we are. He's gone off the deep end, he's broken Sarah's wrist, threatened her life, and kidnapped my daughter after manipulating her into leaving us all behind and going with him. Try and explain that, Dr. Cullen."

Carlisle was stunned to hear what Edward had done, not knowing what to say in response to Bella's father. Alice moved towards them and said, "Charlie, you have to understand that Edward loves Bella dearly and just wants his wife home."

"Don't say anything else to me. You call yourself Bella's friend, but all you've done is manipulate her the same way your good for nothing brother has. You've all ruined her already low self-esteem and drug her away from her family and friends, those that love her for who she is and tried to build her up. I won't have it anymore and Bella isn't leaving with you or him. She's staying here in Forks where she belongs, with her _real_ family."

The Cullens said nothing is return, not wanting to say anything against the anger radiating off Charlie. Rosalie stepped forward to the police chief and said, "If it's any consolation, I always wanted Bella to stay here and be normal, to not be involved with us for any reason."

Charlie smiled at the blonde. "I know. You seemed to be the only one that cared enough about her and her well-being to do that."

Nothing more was said following Charlie's words, as he then turned back to his fellow policemen to give a few orders, essentially ignoring the Cullens and their presence. Knowing that they were pretty much dismissed, Carlisle led his family off to the side where they waited anxiously for Edward to show up with Bella. And they knew that when he did, things would go from bad to worse.

* * *

Jacob stepped inside his house where he found Seth waiting in the living room, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt for him waiting. Grabbing them, he slipped them on and noticed the troubled expression on his friend's face. Thinking that Seth was troubled by Sarah's fraught emotions about Bella, he said, "Don't worry, Seth. We're going to get Bella back and Sarah will be happy again."

Seth looked at his friend and said, "I know, but that's not what I'm concerned about right now. I mean I am, but that's not it right now."

"Then what is it?"

"Jake, Sarah's broken wrist is already healed. The bones are back in place and everything. It's almost like Edward had never snapped it at all."

Jacob stared at Seth in silence for a moment before finally saying, "What?"

Nodding Seth said, "She had Shifter DNA in her Jake, and it's already manifesting itself."

Shaking his head in denial Jacob replied, "That's impossible. Imprints don't have the capability to go wolf. It's not what they are for."

"Maybe, but you must remember that though Sarah is my Imprint, she's your daughter. Leah already baffled and defied the legends about Shifters when she was the first female to ever phase. It wouldn't surprise me if Sarah also defied them as well."

"But I don't want Sarah to phase. I don't want her caught up in all of this more than she already is."

"That's not up to you, Jake. If the gods have already chosen for her to phase at some point, then she will. And if she does, we'll be there for her to help her through it."

At that moment Sarah walked out of her bedroom with her backpack on her back and she walked up to her father with purpose in her stride and determination in her eyes. Looking up at Jacob Sarah said, "I'm going with you to save mom, and you won't stop me."

Father and daughter stood there staring at each other before Jacob looked back at Seth. "Did she tell you the same thing?"

"Yeah, she did. She's stubborn, just like you and Bella."

Sarah looked at her best friend before turning back to her father. "I hate that man that calls himself mom's husband. I want him out of our lives for good, but I'm not going to allow him to leave with mom. I want you and mom together, I want us to be a family and be happy, just like we've been these past few months. I'm not going to let him come and ruin what we have here. Either he leaves by himself, or he doesn't leave at all."

Hearing his daughter say such words had Jacob's eyes wide in shock. Looking at Seth he too had the same expression of bewilderment on his face. Turning back to the young teen he asked, "What do you mean by that, Sarah?"

The girl's expression hardened, her face looking more like Jacob's than it ever had. "I mean either he leaves from here and leaves us alone for good, or he dies. Vampire or not, Edward Cullen is a dead man for ruining mine, yours, and mom's lives. Besides, I'm sure you want to get him for old and new."

Jacob stared at his daughter for a moment before smirking and saying, "You got that right. He's had this coming for a long time."

At that moment, he heard cars pulling up into his yard. Knowing that it was the Pack, he went outside with Sarah and Seth following behind him. Seeing them all waiting for him, he made his way towards his car where Sam and Leah were sitting inside. He climbed into the back of it, Sarah getting in with him as well as Seth. Turning to look at them Leah said, "I thought Sarah was staying here."

"She's made it abundantly clear that she will do no such thing," Jacob replied. "She's going with us to save Bella, as well as implied that the leech dies if all else fails."

Sam and Leah looked at each other before turning back to look at the thirteen-year-old. Sarah looked back at them with a determined expression on her face, her gaze never wavering. Seth looked at his Imprint with a mixture of pride and worry on his face. Leah then raised an eyebrow with a smirk on her lips before saying, "Atta girl. You fit in just fine with us, kid."

Jacob ruffled Sarah's hair, causing her to smile, before saying, "Let's hurry and get to the airport before Cullen gets there with Bella. We have no time to lose. Remember, he said their flight leaves in an hour, and we've already wasted enough time."

Nodding, Sam quickly put Jacob's car in reverse and turned around before speeding down the roads of La Push, the rest of the Pack following in their own cars. And as they drove on out of La Push and onto the highway, both Jacob and Sarah had the same thought in mind, and that was to get to the airport in time to stop Edward from leaving with Bella and bring her back home.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thanks to all that are still reading this story and reviewing. I hope you stay tuned for the next chapter, as it will surely be the most anticipated one. Stay tuned for whether Edward succeeds in escaping Forks with Bella, or if Jacob and everyone else will be able to stop him. Again, thanks so much for reading and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Love, SehunsBae37.**


	21. Chapter 21

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 21

The atmosphere in the airport was tense, _very_ tense. Many people were looking, wondering what in the world was going on that demanded the police there, and so many of them at that. Was it a robbery or a kidnapping they were trying to stop? No one knew, but many figured they would stay to watch the fallout. Alice was having trouble seeing what was going to happen, and that was because she knew the wolves would be present. All she could catch were glimpses of Edward and Bella, and it was hard to tell what was going to happen. All she could see was Bella's tearstained face contorted in pain and her screaming, and Edward's future disappearing for sure after the glimpses of him she saw. It was making her anxious and her emotions fraught as she tried to keep it all together while anticipating Edward's arrival with Bella.

Feeling his mate's distressed emotions, Jasper sent a temporary wave of calmness over Alice before turning towards Rosalie. Getting his twin's attention, he murmured to her, "Alice's emotions are very high right now."

"As they should be," Rosalie said flippantly.

"Rose, please."

Rosalie sighed before asking, "What do you want me to do about it, Jasper? I can't do anything about how she's feeling, but you can."

"But I can't stop the visions that are making her feel this way. And it won't stop her anxiety from continuously rising. I think it might be best to send everyone out, all the humans that have nothing to do with this anyway."

"What, are you expecting a bloodbath?"

"Aren't you?"

The blonde vampires stared at each other in silence, both of them having the same thought. And that thought was that things were bound to go south quickly and there indeed would be bloodshed of some sort. At least, metaphorically; Edward wouldn't be able to bleed when he was ripped to pieces. They both expected it to happen—lowkey hoping so for Jasper, high key for Rosalie—and wanted to prevent as many casualties as possible for those involved and not involved.

Closing her eyes Rosalie briefly before opening them and nodding. Walking over to Charlie she said, "Charlie, get your men to send these spectators away. Get them out of the airport right now. What's is bound to happen soon isn't anything they or your fellow men in blue need to witness. Despite all of this, we are at risk of our secret being outed because of our stupid brother's actions. Not just us, but the Pack as well. Please, send them away and your men as well. If anything, have your men out there waiting for them to show up."

Charlie considered what the blonde had said before saying, "I'm sure he'll find another way inside past my men."

"Don't worry, Charlie. I'll make sure he ends up right where we are," Emmett said as he stepped up to stand next to his mate. With his usual smile he said, "Trust my Rosie, she's always thought rationally."

"I'm the only one that does," Rosalie said looking at Emmett, her mate grinning brightly down at her.

Charlie knew Rosalie had a point and knew that they had to act fast. Nodding he turned to Mark and gave orders for him and the rest of the policemen to escort the people in the airport out, employees included, as well as to wait for Edward Cullen to show up. As that was happening, Esme told Carlisle that she was going to head to the control room, already planning to cut the feed from the cameras so they didn't catch anything. Carlisle nodded and allowed her to leave before turning back to watch the scene in front of him. Charlie watched his men do as he ordered, though he felt a sense of relief seeing the tall tan men walking towards them in the airport, a certain one leading the group. Finally, Jacob and the Pack had arrived.

Jacob walked over to Charlie and asked, "Who's idea was it to make everyone leave?"

Rosalie cleared her throat, raising an eyebrow at Jacob when he turned to her. Nodding to her he said, "Good call, Blondie."

"I know," Rosalie remarked, though there was no malice in her words. Her golden eyes shifted behind him and widened a bit before she asked, "Sarah?"

Sarah turned to the sound of her name and ran over to Rosalie, wrapping her arms around her in a hug while exclaiming, "Aunt Rosie!"

Charlie blinked in surprise at his granddaughter before turning to Jacob. "Jacob, what the hell? You brought Sarah here?"

"She refused to be anywhere else, Charlie," Jacob replied. "She wants Bella back like the rest of us and refused to wait for it to happen."

"Dad's right, I did grandpa," Sarah said letting go of Rosalie. "I'm not going to wait idly by for news. We're getting mom back, and Edward Cullen can either leave without her or die."

Carlisle and Alice gasped at the young teen's words, not believing that she would say such a thing. No one else seemed to care much about Sarah's words, knowing that when it came down to it, Edward was either going to leave emptyhanded or die. He had crossed the line this time—more so than the last times—and nothing that was said or done would be enough to appease the Pack, especially the Alpha. Ignoring Alice and Carlisle's horrified expressions, Jacob glared at them and said, "Edward Cullen has threatened my daughter, purposely hurt her, and has kidnapped Bella. None of that will go unpunished and I will see to it that his miserable existence is put to an end."

Alice wrung her hands and pleaded, "Jacob please! Let us take Edward and go! We won't come back, we promise!"

Sam glared at her and spoke up saying, "Your promises mean nothing to us. Even if you did, that won't stop that creep from coming back. You've given him free reign to do what he wants for too long, now we all have to suffer the consequences."

"And as the mother to our Alpha's child and his mate, Bella is one of us. She's Pack and she's family, and she won't be returning with you or wherever Cullen plans on taking her," Embry said, Quil nodding in agreement next to him.

"And Sarah won't be returning either," Seth said, his body shaking with rage, his mind still replaying Edward breaking Sarah's wrist. "I should have killed him for what he did to Sarah."

Leah placed a hand comforting hand on her brother's shoulder, understanding he was feeling awful for not being able to protect his Imprint at the time. She also knew that whatever respect he had once had for Edward disappeared the moment he Imprinted on Sarah and found out what the vampire had threatened Sarah's life to keep Bella with him. It was disgusting he would say he'd do that and it made not only Seth and Jacob, but the entire Pack more protective of Sarah than they already were. Now this had happened with her and Bella and everyone was out for blood.

Quil turned his head when a sound caught his attention. It was faint, but he heard it. It sounded as if the policemen were pulling out their guns and shouting, Deputy Mark barking orders as well. It seemed as if Edward had finally arrived with Bella. Looking towards everyone he said, "Look alive, everyone. This freak show is about to begin."

* * *

Edward kept glancing at Bella, frowning as she refused to look at him from her position in the passenger seat of the car he had rented. The words that she had screamed at him still burned him to his core, more so because he had been able to hear the truth behind them in her voice, see it in her eyes. His sweet Bella no longer loved him, no longer wanted anything to do with him. It didn't matter though, because she would always belong to him. She was his wife, his Singer, his mate, his property, and he'd be damned if he allowed Jacob Black to have her again. He cursed the stupid wolf and his love child for taking Bella away from him. But he knew how to keep her with him forever, and that was if she was a vampire. He could just turn her himself, but he found it better to take her to the Volturi and have Aro do it. All he had to do was mention that Bella planned on not fulfilling her promise to them to be a vampire, and they would make sure she kept it for her. His hands would be clean of it and he and Bella could spend eternity together, whether she loved him or not.

As he turned into the airport, Edward reached over and placed a loving hand on Bella's shoulder, ignoring how she flinched away from him as he said, "Don't worry, love. We'll be out of this godforsaken place soon and will soon be on a flight to Italy. And after visiting Volterra, we'll start our new lives together."

Bella finally turned to look at him with tears standing in her eyes, though they did nothing to conceal the blatant hatred and disgust she held for him. In a hard voice she lowly said, "I will never forgive you for this, Edward. You've ruined my life, and I allowed you to. I will never forgive myself for it, and I will never forgive you for continuing to do so now."

She said no more, choosing to turn back towards the window, shaking the vampire's hand off her shoulder. Bella couldn't believe that this is where her life now stood. Nothing had changed at all in the last thirteen years. She was still at Edward's mercy, no able to get away from him and having her life enchained, not able to break out. Even at thirty-one, she was pathetic. The only relief she had was that her precious daughter would be safe despite her horrible, selfish actions that led them to this point. So long as Sarah was safe, she supposed she could live the rest of her soon-to-be damned life in a bit of peace. But if Edward really did get away with this and had her turned, the first thing she would do as a newborn was kill him. She wanted her selfish husband dead, completely dead and no longer walking this earth.

Edward frowned at his wife before turning back to the road. He pulled into a parking space and got out of the car, moving to the passenger side and grabbing Bella's arm, pulling her out of the car as well. He began pulling her towards the entrance of the airport, only to find a large crowd of people. Edward blinked in confusion while Bella stared in shock, especially hearing that the entire police squad was there. Gasping she turned towards Edward who had also heard the same remark, and quickly tore herself away from him before he could tighten his grip more on her arm. She ran through the crowd, pushing people out of her way as she ran towards the men in blue, never so happy in her life to see policemen. Spotting Charlie's trusted deputy, she called out, "Mark!"

As soon as Deputy Mark laid eyes on his chief's daughter, Edward reached out and grabbed Bella, yanking her towards him and to another entrance. The policemen called after them, demanding Edward stop and release Bella, but the vampire did no such thing. Even as shots began to ring out, Edward dodged them all and quickly slipped into the airport with Bella in tow.

Grabbing the brunette, Edward picked her up and took off running to the terminal for the flight to Italy, only to stop upon turning a corner. Bella looked up as well and was never so happy to see the big burly vampire standing just three feet in front of them. Panting slightly, she breathed out, "Emmett!"

Emmett grinned down at Bella before turning his attention towards Edward. With crossed arms he asked, "Where do you think you're going, little brother?"

"Little?" Edward hissed before asking, "What are you doing here, Emmett?"

"You already know, Ed."

Faster than Edward had time to decipher, Emmett grabbed him by his arm in a vice grip, making him practically drop Bella and he proceeded to pull Edward along, Edward pulling Bella after she regained her footing on the floor. The three of them walked through the quiet walkways of the airport, getting closer to the terminal where the rest of the Cullens, the Pack, Charlie, and Sarah were waiting. Along the way, Bella noticed that the security cameras hanging about didn't have the red light on, and she determined that they weren't recording anything, making her wonder if they had stopped working or if someone had purposely turned them off. Her mind settled on the latter, and it made a horrible feeling settle in her gut. Before she knew it, she, Emmett, and Edward had stepped into the terminal and were met by some of the people she couldn't be happier to see.

Chocolate brown eyes landed on matching ones and Bella gasped before calling, "Sarah!"

"Mom!" Sarah shouted, making to run towards her but was stopped by Seth. Edward's already tight grip on Bella tightened further and he scowled at the Pack before looking at his family. He noticed that Rosalie was standing off to one side, Jasper to another, and Emmett behind him. They were spread out, making sure he had no way to escape without running into one of them first. And with the Pack there, it would make it harder. Looking at his sire that was standing in front of him, he asked, "Is this really necessary, Carlisle?"

Carlisle gave his son a pained look before saying, "Edward, you and I both know you've crossed the line. You've broken the treaty, harmed the Alpha's child, and kidnapped his mate."

Edward snarled before growling out, "Bella isn't his! She's mine! She's _my_ mate!"

"No, I'm not," Bella said in rebuttal, futilely trying to get out of the vampire's grip.

Getting in her face, Edward hissed, "You shut up."

"Hey!" Jacob shouted, stepping forward. Glaring at the leech in front of him he demanded, "Let Bella go right now. She's not going back with you. She doesn't belong with you; she belongs with us."

"She's never belonged with you and never will."

Alice stepped up and pleadingly spoke, "Edward please! I know you love Bella, we all know that. Just tell them that you didn't mean any of this to happen and we can go away and never come back. You're just being a concerned husband, that's all."

"Oh my God, shut up Alice!" Rosalie shouted at the pixie-like vampire, causing Alice to jump a little. "It's this goddamn coddling and excusing of his behavior that has us in this mess in the first place."

"You shouldn't have let Sarah come here! You went against Edward's wishes!"

"I did right by Sarah by letting her come here! And Bella was finally free!"

"Stop it," Charlie demanded, silencing the two vampires. Looking at Edward he scowled and said, "I've never liked you, you little son of a bitch. And now I especially hate you and always will. Give my daughter back, damn it! I'm not letting you take her away again!"

Edward looked at everyone before turning to Jacob. "She has a promise to fulfill, you know. We're going to fulfill it, and you won't stop us. It _will_ happen."

"Edward, stop!" Bella pleaded. "It doesn't matter anymore!"

"Yes, it does! Stop defying me!"

Shaking his head, Jasper said, "Believe it or not, her promise to the Volturi is null and void by this point. She's had an Alpha's child and is his mate; a war will be started if you turn her."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Jasper! You wanted her turned to stop your bloodlust around her!"

Quil let out an exasperated huff before yelling, "Dude! Give it up already! It's done, it's over! Your plan to take off with Bella failed! Let her go and get the hell out of Washington!"

Paul sneered at Edward saying, "This is your last chance, bloodsucker. Give Bella back to us now or we won't hesitate to kill you."

"And your little family won't be able to stop us," Jared said glaring as well.

Edward stared around at everyone surrounding him and Bella. He turned his attention to Jacob who had silently stepped up to him, towering over him as he usually did before the Shifter bent down in his face and said threateningly, "Last warning, asshole. Let Bella go."

Seeing he was surrounded with no way out, Edward saw that he had no other option. Growling at Jacob, he said menacingly, "If I can't have Bella, no one can."

Jerking the brunette closer to him, Edward exposed her neck and quickly sunk his teeth into it, Bella's bloodcurdling scream filling the air as tears fell down her face, the venom burning like lava as it entered her bloodstream.

In that moment, many things happened at once. Charlie took his gun and fired a shot, hitting Edward right in the eye with the bullet. As the vampire's head titled back slightly, his grip on Bella loosened allowed Jacob to take her from him. The Pack sans Leah erupted into their wolf forms, charging Edward who was being held from escaping by Emmett and Jasper. Rosalie and Carlisle were by Jacob's side to attend to Bella, Rosalie yelling at the coven leader to save Bella. Alice was standing there watching and screaming in horror as the Pack surrounded Edward, Esme wrapping her arms around her as the little Seer crumpled to the ground. However, amidst all of this, Sarah began to tremble and shake, her form vibrating violently. With a scream that soon turned into a snarl followed by a howl, the young girl burst out of her clothes as practically white fur burst from her skin, the tips gold and shining brightly. She howled once more before charging towards the vampire that had bitten her mother, leaping over Sam and Paul and completely clearing them, landing on top of Edward and shoving him harshly to the ground. With a snarl she clamped her large jaws onto the vampire's marble neck, her teeth sinking into the stone flesh and swiftly ripped his head off, throwing it away.

The Pack watched in shock and pride as their youngest Pack member completely dismembered Edward Cullen, throwing his limbs here and there until he lay in pieces. When she was finished, she hurried over to her parents while Seth, Embry, and Quil gathered the remains of Edward and Sam phased back to his human self, taking a lighter from Charlie and setting fire to the dismembered body. Leah, who was standing next to Charlie and keeping him from being too close to where Bella was currently lying in Jacob's arms screaming as the venom continued to travel throughout her body, looked at Carlisle and screamed, "Do something! Save her, damn it!"

Carlisle nodded before looking at Jacob saying, "Hold her steady. Rosalie, be ready to rush Bella off to the hospital."

Jacob held Bella steady as Carlisle placed his teeth where his son had put his on Bella's neck, and began to suck out the venom as quickly as possible. As he did, Jacob looked into the chocolate brown eyes of the woman he loved and said with tears in his eyes, "Hold on Bells, okay? Just hold on, honey."

Bella stared up at Jacob, not able to reply as her vision blurred before her eyelids shut completely, her being consumed by darkness.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Here it is, the standoff with Edward vs everyone else. I hope this chapter was okay and that you all enjoyed it. Please stay tuned for what is to come next. And believe it or not, but this story is nearing its end. Also, I just got a new tattoo on my inner arm and it hurts to rest it on the table to write this chapter, but I did it lol. Again, I hope you all enjoyed this story and will read what is to come next. Love, SehunsBae37.**


	22. Chapter 22

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

 **Author's Note: Whoo, child! It has been a right minute since I've updated this story, and I apologize for the delay. Even so, I hope you all have stayed to see what comes next and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Also, thank you all so much for your kind reviews for the last chapter and I loved that you all loved it as well. Again, I hope you like this chapter and stay tuned for more to come. Love, SehunsBae37.**

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 22

Darkness…she was floating in it. She felt numb, yet weightless. She couldn't breathe…she was drowning. Was this death? Had all her bad luck finally caught up to her and sent her to the well-deserved grave she dug for herself years ago? It seemed like it did. But if death was the price to pay for everything that happened in her life and the pain and suffering she caused others, then she supposed it was fitting. However…no, she couldn't die yet, not now. Sarah needed her, Jacob needed her, and she needed them. But how was she going to reach them in this void of darkness where she couldn't see nor breathe? She needed to wake up. She needed to wake up and breathe again. The only question though, was how?

* * *

Jacob sat in the chair next to Bella's hospital bed without moving, having been there every day in that same spot for the past three weeks. Of course, he hadn't been able to stay day and night like he would have wanted—Sarah still needed him at home, after all—but he had been at Forks Hospital every day since Bella was admitted. It sometimes was still hard for him to think about the reason she was lying in that hospital bed in the first place.

After Cullen had bitten Bella in a last-ditch effort to stop them, the doc had sucked the venom out of her bloodstream until there wasn't a trace of it left. Blondie had then rushed her to the hospital and got her admitted into the Emergency Room as quickly as possible, the doc going to be a part of saving Bella. They had been successful in saving her—giving her a blood transfusion, an antivenom shot that Carlisle had snuck in (as an extra precaution, of course), and patching up the wound on her neck. After Bella was stable four days later and moved to a room from the ICU, Carlisle had left Forks to meet up with Esme who was helping Jasper and Emmett keep Alice in check, seeing as the Seer vampire's mind broke the moment Edward was killed by little Sarah. Rosalie was the only Cullen to stay in Forks to watch out for Bella and Sarah a bit longer until Bella was released from the hospital. Jacob and the Pack didn't mind Rosalie's presence still around, seeing as she was the one to help push Bella and Sarah away from her toxic family and back on the right track of life.

Sarah, after getting the help she needed to phase back into her human self, had spent time learning to phase back and forth between wolf and human from her father and Leah, though Leah was more so verbally instructing then actually doing it. She had been informed about everything in depth than what she already knew, and though it was still hard for her to believe, Sarah enjoyed being a wolf Shifter. And though she did not regret tearing her stepfather apart, it still disturbed her that she had actually killed someone, vampire or not. Jacob had gotten Embry and Quil to help talk to her to help her come to terms with what she had done, and then later explained Imprinting to his daughter, as well as revealed how Seth had Imprinted on her. Sarah, though shocked at hearing that, accepted it and still loved being around Seth, though she had made it abundantly clear he was just her best friend—she was only thirteen, after all; Seth just smiled and took it.

At the moment, Jacob sat watching Bella as he had been for the past two hours, hoping and praying that she would wake up soon. How he longed to see her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. Yes, Sarah had those same eyes, but Bella's had a different shine to them that Sarah's didn't possess, and he longed to see them again. Three weeks was long enough, but he knew that Bella would only wake up when she was ready. Jacob shifted in his seat for a moment before settling again, sighing as he listened to Bella's heart monitor beep on as it had for what seemed like forever.

A knock on the door caught his attention and he turned his head towards it before calling out, "Come in."

The door opened and Angela peeked her head inside, a kind smile on her face as she greeted, "Hello Jacob."

"Angela, hi. Please, come in."

Angela stepped inside the room, a vase of flowers in her hands that she moved to sit on the table near the hospital bed. Jacob took note of how Angela's pregnant stomach was showing, letting those around her know she was expecting. She had just hit the fourth month of pregnancy and both her and Embry were ecstatic about it. Smiling he asked, "How's the baby?"

"It's really good, nothing to worry about so far," Angela replied with a smile, rubbing a hand over her stomach. "My doctor says that I can know the gender next month, but Embry and I want it to be a surprise."

Jacob nodded, though a sad look came over his face. "I wish I had been there when Bella was pregnant with Sarah. I missed everything during that time, but I'm glad I have Sarah now."

"Well, it'll happen again, I'm sure. Before you know it, you and Bella will be married and having another baby together."

"I guess, but that's if she'll ever wake up."

Angela looked at her friend lying still and asked, "Has she shown any sign of waking up yet?"

Shaking his head Jacob answered, "None, though the doctors swear she's fine and everything is functioning as it should. They said now it's just up to her."

The bespectacled woman walked over to Jacob and gave him a hug before saying, "Just keep having faith, Jacob. Bella will find her way back to you, to all of us. She has before and she will again."

Returning her hug Jacob thanked Angela before Angela left, stating she had a meeting with her editor in half an hour. Not long after Angela left, the door opened again and this time, Sarah stepped inside followed by Billy and Charlie. Smiling Sarah greeted, "Hi daddy."

"Hey sweetheart," Jacob replied, standing to hug his daughter before doing the same to his father and Charlie. He then moved to sit back in his chair and turned his attention back to the silent brunette that was his love. Sarah took a seat in the chair next to her father while Charlie sat on the bench on the other side of the hospital bed, Billy rolling his chair to join him. The four of them sat in silence for a while before Jacob finally spoke saying, "She still hasn't shown any signs of waking up yet, but her doctors say she will on her own."

Billy nodded and said, "Bella's a strong young woman, always has been. She'll pull through this, just like she has on everything else she's been through."

Charlie stared at his daughter, taking note that her pale skin wasn't as pale as it had been previous. She had a bit of color back in her cheeks, so that for him was good news. Running a hand down his face he said, "I didn't think I'd have to see her in the hospital again after all these years because of that bastard, but I should have known it would happen sooner or later. Luckily we won't have deal with him ever again."

Sarah nodded slowly before murmuring, "Aunt Rosie said that Alice has had some sort of mental breakdown because of _his_ death and isn't herself, so Grandma Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, and Uncle Emmett are watching over her right now."

"What is she going to do when she eventually leaves from here?" Billy asked.

"She said she'd join them to help handle Alice, and when she thinks she's okay, her and Uncle Emmett are going to Russia. She spoke with Jasper and said that he told her it might be better to take Alice to Volterra in Italy to help keep a better handle on Alice, and that he'd join the Volturi guard if it came to that."

"And the doctor and his wife?" Billy asked.

"I don't know."

None of them said anything more, just sitting together and staring at Bella. Time went by and before long, Charlie had to leave and Billy went with him. Jacob decided to walk them out and left the hospital room, leaving Sarah with her mother. When the men all left, Sarah stood from her chair and walked over to her mother's side, looking down at her face. As she looked at her she began to speak in a soft voice.

"Hi mom. I hope you're doing alright. It's been three weeks since…well, you know. I wish you would wake up so we can take you home. It's not fair that you're stuck in here, that you're even in here to begin with because of…that person. Of course…" Sarah bit her lip before continuing. "…none of this would have happened if I hadn't come here. Because if I had just stayed in Colorado, you wouldn't have come after me; you wouldn't have decided to stay, and _he_ wouldn't have shown up to get you back and caused so much chaos. I guess…I guess it's all my fault in the end, isn't it? It's…it's always been my fault." Tears welled up in Sarah's eyes and spilled down over her cheeks. "All this chaos happened because of me, because I wanted to meet dad, because I wanted to live a normal life for once, because I was selfish. And even so, it's all my fault because…because you decided to have me, your husband's enemy's child. Maybe this all wouldn't have happened if I hadn't ever been born. I'm the root cause of all of this. I'm the reason you're lying here right now; I'm so sorry, mommy. I'm so sorry…"

Sarah burst into tears, putting her face in Bella's chest as she cried. That was a lot for her to take in, that none of what happened would have happened had it not been for her and her existence. And because she decided to be selfish for once, her mother paid the price for it. It wasn't fair that this happened, and she blamed no one but herself. As she cried, she felt a gentle hand lay itself on her head, lightly stroking her hair.

Gasping Sarah sat up and looked at her mother, her chocolate eyes widening as she looked into the open, teary eyes of her mother. Bella gently stroked her daughter's face before saying in a hoarse voice, "Nothing could be further from the truth. Don't ever believe what you've just told me, Sarah. I don't regret for a second having you, and I never will. Everything that happened had nothing to do with you; it's all an accumulation of my actions that finally came to a head. I'm sorry you feel like you were the problem that caused this, but you're not. Edward was used to him being the center of my world, but then you came into my life. You're my heart Sarah, my greatest treasure, and nothing will ever replace you. Not only that, but you helped me follow my heart because of your pure one, a heart Edward couldn't ever begin to understand because it's the same heart your father has. I love you so much, sweetheart. I love you, and I'm sorry my actions made you think this way."

As Bella's tears fell down her face, Sarah's started anew and she hugged her mother tightly, crying into her shoulder as Bella wrapped her arms around her, holding her while talking comfortingly to her. And this was the scene that greeted Jacob when he returned, his daughter and his love hugging each other and crying together. As much as he wanted to hug and kiss Bella, very happy to see her awake, he knew not to interrupt them. Even so, he stood in silence watching his little family have their moment while thanking the gods that Bella was finally awake. Perhaps now life could finally go back to normal.


	23. Chapter 23

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 23

After Bella had woken up from her three-week coma, things had pretty much gone back to normal. She had been released from the hospital a week after waking up and had returned home to La Push. Jacob and Sarah were ecstatic to have the brunette back home, Billy, Charlie, and the Pack just as excited. They had thrown her a small celebration and she had been showered with so much love, her heart had been filled and she couldn't help but to cry in happiness. For Bella, even after all that she had done and put them through—old and new—they still loved her and forgave her. Even better, a weight that had been suffocating her for the longest had finally been lifted from her and she could start living again. She could begin a new life with her loved ones, with her family, with Jacob and Sarah.

* * *

 _1 Week Later…_

Bella and Sarah were at currently at Charlie's house, spending time with him on his rare day off from work. The brunette was busy laughing as she watched her father and daughter play a rather hilarious game of Twister in the living room floor, Charlie struggling with keeping his extremities on the colored spots. She absolutely loved how involved Charlie was with Sarah, knowing that he hadn't been much if at all in her upbringing. Yes, she had also deprived him of doing the same the first twelve years of Sarah's life, but it seemed like that didn't matter now. Charlie had forgiven her for what she had done, he absolutely adored his granddaughter, and her own relationship with Charlie was better than ever.

After she had spun the arrow and called out for Sarah to put her left foot on a green spot, there was a knock on the front door. Standing up, Bella said, "I'll get it."

"Can we take a pause? My arm is cramping up," Charlie asked.

"No, we can't. You've got to hold it, grandpa," Sarah said matter-of-factly.

Giggling as her father grumbled, Bella walked to the front door and opened it. Her chocolate brown eyes widened as they stared at the blonde vampire standing on the front porch. Amber eyes stared back at her before Rosalie gave her a small smile. She looked her over once before saying, "You look good, Bella."

Blinking a few times, Bella opened her mouth to speak, only to close it before opening it again saying, "Oh, hi Rosalie. And thanks, I guess."

Rosalie nodded before asking, "Can I come in?"

"Yes, come in."

Bella allowed the blonde entrance before shutting the door behind her. Leading Rosalie, she took her to the living room where Sarah and Charlie were still bent in weird shapes on the Twister mat. Sarah looked up as she saw her mother step back into the living room and she grinned at the sight of her aunt. Quickly getting up from the mat—and accidentally knocking her grandfather over—she ran to Rosalie and wrapped her arms around her in a hug, holding her close exclaiming, "Aunt Rosie!"

Chuckling Rosalie returned the young teenager's hug saying, "Hello Sarah."

Groaning, Charlie sat up from where he had fallen on the floor and rubbed his shoulder before saying, "Hi Rosalie. What brings you by?"

"Hi Charlie. I'm just here to check up on Bella one last time before leaving Forks for good."

Silence followed Rosalie's words before Bella finally said, "So you're really leaving."

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, I am. I've already put the house up for sale, so it's officially on the market as we won't ever be returning. I've also got to meet back up with the others to see what can be done about Alice, and I can't be away from Emmett for too long."

Charlie's eyes widened before he nodded. Standing up from the floor, he walked over to her and stuck out his hand, allowing her to shake it as he said, "Well then, I guess this is 'goodbye'. Thank you so much for all you've done in taking care of Bella and Sarah and watching out for them, even when those that claimed to love them didn't. You are alright in my book, Rosalie."

"Thank you, Charlie. That means a lot considering all the hell my family put Bella through, and you by extension," Rosalie replied with a kind smile.

Sarah frowned up at her aunt and said, "I wish you could stay. I don't care that you're a vampire, you're still my aunt."

Her sweet words touched Rosalie's un-beating heart, and she knew that if she was still capable of it, she'd be shedding a few tears. She hugged the girl close to her once more before kissing her on her forehead.

"Me too, Sarah," Rosalie said softly. "But just know I'm only a phone call away if you ever want to talk. And if you absolutely need me, I'll be here."

Sarah nodded, closing her eyes tightly as she hugged her aunt. "I love you, Aunt Rosie."

The vampire held her as tight as possible without crushing her. "And I love you, my niece."

Once Rosalie and Sarah had let go of their hug, golden eyes turned to look at the brunette that had been silent for the time being. Walking over to her, the blonde looked Bella in the eye before placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Smiling sadly at her she said, "Have a fantastic life, Bella. Live it to the fullest with your family and be the one thing you haven't had the chance to be these past thirteen years: be happy."

Tears filled Bella's eyes before she nodded and for the first and final time, hugged the blonde vampire. With her tears falling down her cheeks, Bella whispered, "Thank you, Rosalie. I know I never acknowledged it before, but you were the sister to me that Alice wanted and could never be. I love you and I'll miss you so much."

Surprised wasn't the word to describe how Rosalie felt in that moment, but she had never been filled with so much joy from hearing those words. Returning Bella's hug, she softly said in reply, "I love you and I'll miss you too, Bella."

The two of the stood hugging before Rosalie finally let go. Looking at the three of them, she lifted her hand in a wave and bid them 'goodbye' before turning to leave the house. As she left, Bella, Sarah, and Charlie followed her outside and stood on the porch, watching as the blonde vampire climbed into the red rental car she had rented. They watched as she backed out of the driveway and prepared to drive away. However, she stopped momentarily and rolled down the window.

"Oh yeah, by the way Bella. Tell your wolf man that he better take good care of you and Sarah, or he'll have to answer to me in the future," Rosalie called out with a playful grin.

Bella let out a small laugh before nodding, waving after the blonde as she drove away and out of her life for good. And as sad as she was to see her go, she knew that it was because of Rosalie that her life was finally back on track, and she thanked her for it.

* * *

A month later Bella was busy going through legal documents due to her now being a widower, and thus was being asked to look over deceased Mr. Edward Cullen's assets, properties, the works. She didn't even know she was going to be getting any of this, but she had a feeling Carlisle had contacted a lawyer or someone and told them of Edward's "untimely" death, as well as to where to send all of the documents and information. She honestly did not want to go through any of this. She did not want to have anything more to do with Edward now that he was forever gone out of her life, and it was all thanks to her precious bean of a daughter. She had given Edward's mother's ring to Rosalie a few days before the blonde departed from Forks, and she didn't want anything else to do with him. She had finally closed that chapter in her life, and she didn't need all this crap keeping the chapter going.

Hands settled on her shoulders and she smiled when she felt Jacob's lips against her cheek. Turning to look at him, she accepted the kiss he gave her on her lips before saying, "Hey."

"Hey honey," Jacob replied. He took a seat in the chair next to her at the kitchen table, looking at the legal documents that his love was looking at. Frowning he asked, "They finally sent you his things?"

"Yeah, and they've alerted me that his "life insurance policy" check has already been deposited into my account."

"Which one?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. I've got no use for his money; I don't _want_ it. I don't want any of his stuff. But I have decided that as far as any properties in his name—now my name—I'm going to sell. And any other money that is still waiting to be taken, I'm going to donate to charities. I just want to wash my hands of Edward once and for all."

Jacob nodded silently before gently taking the brunette in his arms, holding her close. He wanted nothing more than to tell her to toss everything in the trash and forget about it, but he also knew that it wasn't his place. But he didn't like seeing her stressed out and bothered about things, especially pertaining to the leech. He wanted to do something to get her mind off things, to cheer her up and make her happy. What could he do?

A sudden idea came to him and he smiled before giving Bella a quick hug and a kiss on her cheek before standing saying, "I've got to go, I forgot I had something to do."

Bella blinked in surprise before replying, "O-Okay. I'll see you when you get back."

She watched her lover leave before smiling to herself, wondering just what he forgot to do. Oh well, she supposed it didn't matter. Jacob could handle anything. Turning back to the documents in front of her, Bella gave a sigh before getting back to work. The sooner she settled everything, the sooner she could be done with it all.

* * *

Leah stood watching Sarah run around in her wolf form, Seth, Embry, and Sam with her to help her continue to get used to her new form and abilities. Jacob had asked Leah to be a mentor to her, even though she was no longer phasing, and Sarah had taken to Leah immediately and vice versa. She helped ease her into phasing back and forth and moving around and running she left to her brother and man. watching her now she knew that Sarah didn't need anymore guidance from her on phasing, as the thirteen-year-old seemed to have it down to a science now. Angela stood next to Leah, her hand resting on her pregnant stomach. She smiled as she watched her husband run around and play with Jacob and Bella's child. Seeing how involved he was made her smile more, knowing that he would be just as involved with their baby.

Looking at the woman standing just as tall beside her, Leah asked, "Should you be standing this long?"

Angela waved off her question answering, "I'm alright. I actually don't feel real heavy yet, so I'm fine for now."

"You won't be saying that when you enter month seven."

"Probably."

The two of them giggled, their giggles bringing them attention of their other halves. Embry trotted over to Angela and nuzzled her before doing the same to her stomach, Angela smiling sweetly as she stroked his fur. Leah smiled at the sight before turning her attention back to the other three wolves, only to blink when she two. As Sarah playfully pounced on Seth, knocking him to the ground, she looked around for the big black wolf that was Sam. A cold wet nose nudging the back of her neck made her let out a surprised cry before whirling around, staring up at Sam's wolf. Sam looked down at her in amusement as she lightly shoved him saying, "Don't do that, Sam."

Sam let out some sort of wolfish chuckle before licking her cheek, making Leah grimace but otherwise do nothing. She looked up at him for a while before finally smiling, wrapping her arms around his large neck in a hug.

The sound of running feet caught the wolves' attention before Angela and Leah became aware of anyone approaching. Before long Jacob jogged up to them, greeting everyone as he did. He laughed when the white, gold-tipped wolf that was Sarah bounded over to him, rubbing herself against him in greeting. After giving his daughter a hug, he looked at the two women and asked, "Leah, Angela, can you two watched out for Sarah a little longer for me?"

"Sure, but why?" Angela said. "Not that I mind, I love Sarah."

"I've got something to do before tonight and I need Sam, Embry, and Seth's help. Sorry, but I've got to steal them for a couple of hours."

"Alright, have fun," Leah said.

Seth, Sam, and Embry all went into the woods out of sight for a moment before returning, having phased back to human form and wearing their cutoff shorts. Looking at Jacob Seth asked, "What do you need us for, Jake?"

Jacob grinned before answering, "You'll see."

Waving 'bye' to the three females, Jacob turned and ran back into the woods, the other three right behind them. After they left, Sarah phased back to her human form, not minding her nakedness in front of the two women before saying, "I wonder what dad is up to."

"Knowing Jacob, it's either really stupid or really thoughtful," Leah replied.

Angela laughed before saying, "If he's involving Sam, it might not be stupid."

"You don't know Sam like I do."

Angela laughed at Leah before turning to Sarah and telling her to get dressed so they could head to her house. Nodding, Sarah ran off to get her clothes and get dressed before running back to the two women. Once she was with them, they walked back to Angela's car that they had driven out to their destination, climbed in and drove back to the Call house.

* * *

Bella hung up the phone finally after such a long conversation with the lawyer Carlisle had gotten involved. Finally, _finally_ , she was done with Edward and anything else to do with him. Turning to Billy she smiled saying, "It's done. Oh, and I'll pay for the phone bill this month, don't worry."

Billy smiled in return saying, "Don't worry about it, Bella. It was important and it had to be taken care of. I can let you use my phone for that."

Grinning, Bella went and gave the man a hug before saying, "Well, I better get started on dinner. How does lasagna sound?"

"It sounds great, but don't worry about cooking anything tonight. Besides, even if you did make it, you won't be eating it."

"Huh?" Bella blinked in confusion.

"And I can cook, so Sarah and I won't starve."

"Okay…but what will I be doing then?"

Billy grinned at the brunette. "You need to put on a nice outfit and wait until Jake gets back."

Bella stared at Billy before nodding, still a bit confused but her heart fluttered as she had a feeling that Jacob was planning a date night for them. "How long do I have before he gets here?"

Glancing at the clock Billy said, "He called me thirty minutes before you ended your call and that he'd be here in about an hour and a half."

Pleased to hear she had plenty of time to get ready, Bella smiled and hurried to the room she still shared with Sarah to pick out an outfit. She enjoyed the first date he had planned, so she knew that she was bound to love this one.

* * *

Two hours later, Jacob and Bella were seated at a table for two set up with candles on First Beach during a sunset. Surprisingly, the bit of wind on the beach coming from the waves were not blowing the candles out, to which Jacob was grateful for. He wanted—no, _needed_ —this night to go right. The two of them sat together eating a meal of lemon and rosemary baked chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus, and a bottle of red wine. It was all so delicious and Bella knew Jacob had not at all made this; it made her wonder who did because Jacob couldn't even boil water.

Once dinner was over, Bella was surprised when Jacob reached into the cooler by his feet and pulled out two plates of chocolate cheesecake. Laughing she said, "Okay, there is no way that you or whoever made chocolate cheesecake."

Grinning Jacob said, "Of course not. I hope you're okay with store-bought."

"I'm okay with that."

Bella picked up her fork and stuck it into the cheesecake, scooping some up before putting it into her mouth. She hummed in approval as she chewed before swallowing and saying, "You've really gone all out tonight, Jake."

Jacob smiled and said, "You deserve it, Bells. After everything you've been through, I wanted to do something real special for you."

Chocolate brown eyes looked into brown ones lovingly and she softly said, "Thank you for this, Jake. It was really sweet of you, and I love you so much. I know I don't deserve you, but I do."

The man stared at her for a moment before he said just as softly, "I love you too, and you do deserve me."

"I don't."

"Then let's agree to disagree."

Bella chuckled as Jacob took a sip of his wine, deciding that was as good as any compromise. The two of them continued to eat their dessert, talking about this and that, and Bella was able to pull out of Jacob that Embry had been the one to cook dinner for them while Sam and Seth helped him set up their little table on the beach. He also told her about Sarah's phasing progress and how she seemed to enjoy turning into a wolf, though she was struggling with the idea of cutting her hair. Bella laughed at that, reminding Jacob that he took struggled with having to cut his hair when he first phased. They also discussed enrolling Sarah into the La Push middle school, unless she wanted to go in Forks of course. They supposed it didn't matter where she went, so long as she was happy wherever she was learning.

By the time they finished eating, Bella was feeling content and happily full. She leant back in her chair and sighed before saying, "I think I'd fancy a walk down the beach now."

Jacob, who had been watching the brunette adoringly, smiled and stood up from his seat. Walking over to where she was, he held out a hand and said, "My lady."

Laughing softly, Bella kicked off her flats and took his hand, letting him stand her up before walking hand in hand towards the water. They walked parallel to the water, Bella's toes dipping in the sand with every step, the wind blowing through their hair and ruffling their clothes, Bella's skirt of her dress fluttering in the cool breeze. After a while they stopped and Bella turned to look up at Jacob.

Taking his hands into hers, she looked up at with him so much love in her eyes before saying, "I know I've already said it, but thank you for tonight. I had a wonderful time and I don't think anything can top it. Though knowing you, you will find a way."

His mouth quirked a little before a grin broke out on his face. Shaking his head, Jacob looked down at Bella saying, "Yeah, I have found a way. Hopefully you'll love it as much as the rest of this night."

Releasing her hands, Jacob reached into his pocket, taking a deep breath as his hand enclosed around the little box. Pulling it out he bent down on one knee, opening the little black box to reveal the ring that once belonged to his mother, Sarah Black. Gasping in surprise, Bella covered her mouth with her hands, tears filling her eyes.

"Bells, we've known each other since we were kids, and ever since I was fifteen, I've been in love with you. We've been through numerous amounts of hell and I wasn't ever sure we would ever get out on the other side. And I finally admitted defeat when you got married and moved away. But you came back to me and even gave me the best gift in the word, a daughter. Even after all of these years, I've been in love with you. I've always loved you, even when I knew I should have hated you. But my heart won't let me, because you are my heart, you and Sarah. Bella, I love you more than anything and I know that no matter what, no matter how bad things get, I want to always be by your side. And I know we've only been back together for a few months now, but I know what I'm feeling and I know it's right, I know it's meant to be. So, Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"

* * *

 **Author's Note: This is the penultimate chapter to RWMtB. This story is about to completely wrap up. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the final chapter to come. Thanks so much for you kind reviews as well! Love, SehunsBae37.**


	24. Chapter 24

Rekindling What's Meant to Be 

JacobxBella

Rated T

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the franchise, as it belongs to Steph Meyers

Rekindling What's Meant to Be

Chapter 24

Epilogue

 _Two Years Later…_

Sarah Black laughed with her friends Kelsey and Anna, the three of them headed for the exit of La Push High School as the school day was now over. The current topic they were speaking about was Sarah's sixteenth birthday. It was a major milestone and her friends were trying to convince her to let them throw her a party, but Sarah was adamantly refusing. She had told them that she would be spending it with her family, and she would be happy with that. Personally, Sarah didn't want something big and lavish for her birthday, considering her first twelve had been nothing but that.

"Come on Sarah, please!" Anna said with puppy dog eyes.

Rolling her eyes Sarah replied, "No Anna, and you know those eyes don't work."

Kelsey snickered and said, "She's right. Besides, she's the only one that can pull it off and get away with it."

Anna pouted before saying, "Then say we're invited to your small birthday gathering with your family. Or at least we should have a sleepover that weekend since your birthday falls in the middle of the week."

Sarah thought about it for a moment before nodding saying, "Okay, a sleepover sounds good. I'm sure my parents won't mind."

"Yes!"

Kelsey and Sarah looked at each other before giggling, soon stepping out of the school with their fellow students and into the afternoon sun. As soon as they stepped outside, they were met by the sight of Seth Clearwater leaning against his car, patiently waiting for the girl he was picking up. Seeing the sight of her best friend, Sarah grinned and said to the two girls, "I'll text you guys later."

Anna nodded before saying, "Okay. Have fun with your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend. He's almost thirty and he's my dad's friend."

"With how close you two are and the way he looks at you, you can't tell me he's not your boyfriend, but whatever you say Sarah."

"Don't forget to read the next three chapters of _The Lord of the Flies_ for Landing, or she'll kill us," Kelsey reminded while waving after Sarah.

Sarah waved back at her friends before going to meet Seth, immediately giving him a hug as she did. Seth chuckled as he returned her hug, keenly aware of the many eyes on them. Pulling away he ruffled her hair before saying, "They still think we're dating, I see."

Shrugging Sarah said, "I can't convince them otherwise. And I guess the Imprint bond doesn't help, but I don't care."

And she didn't. Seth was her best friend above all else no matter what anyone else thought or said, and always would be; that was something Sarah was sure of. Though, if she was just a little honest with herself, she did find herself with a bit of a small crush on the man. And while she knew Seth was protective of her and liked her enough, she also knew that he wouldn't hurt her in any way. One, because she was his Imprint, and two, because her dad would kill him if he did.

Nodding Seth opened the car door for his Imprint, waiting for her to get in before closing the door behind her. Walking over to the driver's side, Seth got in and started the car before driving away, headed towards Jacob and Bella's home. As he drove, he and Sarah talked about her day at school, as well as Seth visiting his sister and accidentally blowing up her microwave. Sarah couldn't help but laugh as he sheepishly recounted the vicious cursing he had received from Leah, as well as her fiancé Sam trying and failing to calm her. It wasn't surprising though, considering his older sister's usual personality. Also, she was pregnant now and every little thing seemed to set her off, so he tried to walk on eggshells whenever he thought she was in a bad mood.

Before long they reached the log cabin that was the Black family's house. Opening the car door, Sarah turned to Seth and gave him a kiss on his cheek before thanking him and telling him that she'd see him later. With that, she got out of Seth's car and threw her backpack on her shoulder, closed the door and jogged to the front door of her house. Taking her key out of her pocket, she put it in the keyhole and unlocked the door before pushing it open and stepping inside as she did. As she closed the door behind her, she called out, "Mom! Dad! I'm home!"

"I'm in here, sweetheart!" her mother's voice rang from the kitchen.

Smiling, Sarah put her backpack on the couch before walking to the kitchen. There she found her mother seated at the table, flipping through a recipe book. Walking over to her, she wrapped her arms around the brunette and greeted, "Hi mommy."

Bella smiled and kissed her daughter's temple before saying, "Hi sweetie. Did you have a good day at school?"

"Yeah, it was pretty good. Anna and Kelsey want to have a sleepover the weekend after my birthday since I won't let them throw me a party. Is that okay?"

"Sure, I don't mind. You just be safe when it happens, and no boys. And if there are boys, you know what to do."

"Call Seth and get the heck out of there."

"That's my girl."

They giggled before the teenager asked where her father was, only to be told he was at his garage repairing an old motorcycle. Grinning at hearing that, Sarah told her mom she was going to go and help him before running to her room. Five minutes later, she returned wearing a pair of old jeans and an old t-shirt, her now short hair styled in a bob pinned back from her face with barrettes and pulled back in a short ponytail, her Converses on her feet. Looking at her mother she said, "I'll be back later with dad."

Bella nodded in amusement at her daughter's enthusiasm about helping her father. Like her father, Sarah was rather handy at repairing motor vehicles and loved to help Jacob whenever she could. As Sarah went to the front door, Bella called after her to stop by Angela and Embry's house on her way back to get an early birthday present; it was Angela's newest book autographed for Sarah, not yet released. Once she heard the door open and close, Bella sighed before turning back to her cookbook. She had just flipped a page when she let out a small grunt of pain.

Looking down at her seven-month pregnant stomach, Bella rubbed it with a smile before saying, "Calm down, little guy. That one actually hurt."

She couldn't help but smile more as she felt her child tumble around inside of her. She and Jacob had been married for almost two years now, them having their wedding just three months after Jacob's proposal. It had been a simple affair, but it was one that was filled with love and happiness, and Sarah had cried the entire day with her saying that her heart was filled with so much happiness she couldn't help but cry because her wish had come true. While they had taken their honeymoon in Las Vegas, the Pack had begun construction on the log cabin that they now lived in. It should have taken longer than it did, but with the Pack working nonstop for their wedding gift to their Alpha and his wife, they finished the day before they had returned, filling it with furniture an hour before they arrived at the airport in Seattle. It had been such a surprise, but they had been so grateful and thanked the Pack profusely.

That had just been the start of their happiness with their own home and their little family. A year went by and Bella found herself not feeling too hot for a while. Jacob was worried and suggested she get Sue to see what was wrong, but she refused. It hadn't been until Sarah had offhandedly spoken about having a little sibling did Bella suddenly get the idea that she was probably pregnant. A test and checkup with Sue later, and it was revealed that she was. Sarah was ecstatic at the prospect of being a big sister, but no one was happier about her pregnancy than Jacob was. In fact, when she had broken the news to him, he had stared at her almost in disbelief before bursting into tears. Jacob had dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Bella's waist, his face in her stomach as he cried and thanked her. His actions had startled and confused Bella at first, but then realization had dawned on her. Jacob hadn't been there when she found out she was pregnant with Sarah. He had been robbed of his chance to experience the pregnancy with her because he hadn't known, and she hadn't told him. It was all he had wanted from the moment he found out about his daughter and now this time he finally could.

He wasn't the only one to rejoice in her pregnancy. Her family and friends did as well, Angela telling her she would help her while holding hers and Embry's son Joseph. Charlie and Billy were proud grandfather's once again and had a rather heated discussion about who's side of the family the baby would take after. Renee, who had moved back to Forks and with Charlie after a disastrous divorce from Phil, had been surprised to learn that her daughter had had a daughter of her own and was now expecting another child with the man that she hadn't married the first time around. Not only that, but to find out that Sarah was Jacob's child that she was pregnant with while married to Edward. Though she hadn't approved of that too well, she couldn't deny her only child was happy with her life now and that she looked brighter and happier than she ever had, and she was content with that. And a few months after that, an ultrasound revealed that the newest addition to the Black family would be a baby boy.

Jacob and Bella were still trying to figure out names for their son, wondering whether to name him after their dads or not, but knew that they'd be happy with whatever name they gave him. Though, Bella did find herself partial to naming him after his father, whether that be by Jacob's first name or middle name. In all honesty, Bella just felt so blessed to not only have the experience of being pregnant again, but to be able to experience it with the love of her life, the one that should have been there the first time around. Shaking her head, she told herself she needed to stop dwelling on the past. It was past and she was now here in the present, and everything was okay now. No need to keep dwelling, especially now that she was happy.

Finally finding a recipe that she wanted, Bella took a picture of the ingredients on her phone before standing from the table. She grabbed her purse and car keys and headed for the front door, opening it and stepping outside. She locked the door behind her and went to head to her car, only to stop when she saw her mother driving towards her house. Waiting until she pulled up, parked the car, and got out, she smiled and greeted, "Hi mom."

Renee smiled at her daughter and moved to hug her before saying, "Hi sweetheart! Look at you, you look like you could pop at any minute."

"Hopefully not, I still have two months left."

"Well, you can never be too sure."

Bella nodded in agreement, but she was sure her little boy would go to term. Looking back at the older woman she asked, "What brings you here?"

"Well, I wanted to have a bit of grandmother-mother-daughter bonding with you and Sarah."

"It'll just have to be you and me, then. Sarah ran off to help Jake at his garage."

Renee sighed and shook her head. "I swear, she's such a little tomboy, just like you were. But I do love that she loves Jacob so much, and apparently always has."

Renee only knew the basics of Bella's first marriage, Sarah coming to Forks, and everything else. And the story for Edward's death was him attempting to kidnap Bella and Charlie having to shoot him when he pulled a knife to slit her throat. And funnily enough, it was Charlie that had come up with the explanation when Renee had asked, seeing as Bella was so caught off guard by the question she had stumbled in her answer. But luckily, Renee bought it, which was good considering she didn't know anything about him being a vampire or her involvement, or that Jacob was a wolf Shifter. _Though,_ Bella thought, _it wouldn't hurt to tell her now. I'll have to talk to Billy about it._

Bella smiled at her mother's words. "Yeah, I love that she loves him so much, too. I feel for Seth—I mean, for the guy that wants to marry her. Jacob is very protective of her."

"As he should be, she's his little girl. Anyway, where are you going?"

"To the store. I found a recipe I want to make and am going to get the ingredients."

"Can I come with?"

"Sure. And if you want, you and dad can join us for dinner. And I'll invite Billy, too."

Renee and Bella got into Bella's car and headed for the store, the two of them talking—or gossiping in Renee's case. Bella, who was driving, nearly swerved off the road when Renee told her she overheard Charlie and Billy talking one night when Billy had been over to watch a Mariners game, and that Billy had told Charlie he was seeing a Tiffany Call. After Bella had straightened up on the road, she asked Bella was caused her reaction, only to be surprised when her daughter told her that Tiffany was Embry's mother. Renee knew Embry, thought him to be a lovely young man and that he was Jacob's friend. So, to hear that Billy was seeing his mother was shocking, and it made Bella wonder if Jacob knew. Then again, it probably wasn't her place to bring it up. Before long they reached the store and went inside to do some shopping, enjoying the time they shared together.

* * *

Later that evening, Bella, Jacob, Sarah, Charlie, Billy, and Renee were all having dinner and talking and laughing together. They discussed a possible family vacation after the baby was born, when the baby would be born, the baby, Sarah's birthday, and possible romantic men in Sarah's life (per Renee's questioning), and how Jacob and Bella would celebrate their second anniversary when it rolled around. Jacob hadn't thought much about his anniversary and admitted so rather embarrassed. Bella however, _had_ been thinking about it and stated that she had plans in motion. When asked what they were, she simply put a finger over her lips and shushed them, causing Sarah and Renee to giggle while the men at the table wondered what she could have already planned without any of them being the wiser. Once dinner was over, they all had some ice cream for dessert before retreating to the living room to watch some television. They settled for a movie showing of _Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom_.

As they all watched the movie, Bella (who was seated on the couch against Jacob) snuggled closer to her husband and sighed softly, yet happily. Jacob looked down at her and smiled softly before kissing the top of her head, holding her closer to his body. In a soft voice he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Lifting her head to look up into his dark brown eyes, she smiled and replied, "How perfect everything is."

Jacob grinned, bending down to take his wife's lips in a sweet kiss. Like her, he too believed everything to finally be perfect. Their lives were normal now, or as normal as can be. They were together again, married and expecting another baby; they had their own little family and were surrounded by those they loved and that loved them. They had overcome obstacle after obstacle, and even when things seemed to be at a loss, time just waited until they were ready to pick up where they left off, letting them know that it wasn't as over as they had thought. And now, everything was perfect.

Kissing Bella once more, Jacob whispered, "I love you, Bells."

"I love you too, Jake," Bella whispered back. "I always have and always will."

As the two of them had their private moment, Sarah looked at them from her seat next to Charlie, a happy smile on her face. She was so glad that everything turned out alright in the end. Her mother had been unhappy for so long, and she was glad that she had been able to see her smile real smiles for the past two years. Not only that, but her parents were together like they should have been going on sixteen years ago. It had taken her fleeing to Forks to meet her father for it to happen, but her parents had not only reconciled, but had rekindled their stunted romance. They had rekindled what was meant to be, and now they were. And everything was perfect and was going to be more so when her little brother entered the world, and she couldn't wait. Turning back to the movie, Sarah couldn't help but think that finally, _finally_ , life was blessing them the way they should have been all along, and it was only going to get better.

* * *

 **Author's Note: This is the end of Rekindling What's Meant to Be. Thank you all so much for reading this story and for all your kind reviews as you followed Jacob, Bella, and Sarah's story. I'm kind of sad that it's over, but I like how it ended. Also, if by chance you guys want to see something of their lives following this story's ending, just mention it and I just might write something out of it. Again, thanks so much for reading and sticking by this story, and hope you enjoy whatever comes next! XOXO, SehunsBae37.**


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